The king, the knight, and the camaraderie
by vienne spellman
Summary: The shaman fight had come to its end, a king was proclaimed, and yet Anna’s duty as Yoh’s fiancé will come to an end too. Will Yoh accept it?
1. Default Chapter

SHAMAN KING FANFICTION

Title: The king, the knight and the camaraderie

Rate: PG13

Genre: General, Romance

Language: English

Plot/ Summary: The shaman fight had come to its end, a king was proclaimed, and yet Anna's duty as Yoh's fiancé will come to an end too. Will Yoh accept it?

DISCLAMERS: I do not own shaman king everything was written in this particular fic was just a product of my nonsense imagination. There's no money related to this it's just my willingness to this no-good fic.

WARNING TO ALL READERS: Yes, I think I have to include this one too, just like what I have said earlier, this fic is a no-good fic. Just a madness of me. Well, I do admit I'm really hook on this anime so I decide to give it a try, yes this is my first fic so if you don't like it, it's your choice! You read this fic even tough I have given you a warning… and oh! Also I am not very good in grammar and spelling …..Well just enjoy my fic!

AUTHOR'S NOTE: The fic will start in the next chapter, this is serves only a reminder for those who dare open this fic. Well I am the person who accepts critics so just to remind you to review, all feedback, comments, suggestion or even flames are allowed there as long as you express your feelings and of course I'll do try to improve my writing if you told so. And sorry for those who want another plot, another pairings and a like because if I have decided what will be the flow of the fic it will be it! I'll change my mind if there's a good reason or point from the readers. (But I think it will take a zillion readers to make me change my mind ) well just go on to the next chapter.


	2. Back to the Pacific

**CHAPTER 1: Back to the Pacific**

It was a long week after the tournament, the gang had arrived to Japan after what had happened and gone back to their own lives. Anna and Yoh had comeback to Funbari Inn and had a week – long vacation before going back to school. Manta also had skipped those classes when they arrived home and pays a visit to the Inn instead. Tamao goes to the Asakura temple with Kino, Yohmei and Mikihisa. Horo Horo and Pirika returned to Hokkaido, also Ren, Faust and Chocolove who returned to their hometown. Ryu and his gang still do what they want to do; to find their best of place.

It was a great afternoon and the wind breeze blows a chilly air. The whole house was gone quiet thru their return. Still its silence was different than before. Anew as the leaves of the plants outside the inn dance as the wind sings and hums. In the patio a boy lie in a supine position and humming through the wind. The boy with dark brown hair with his orange headphones tucked in his ears for hours was silently snoozing and dreaming. He held a carefree smile and sigh, he was happy, with his life… contented, peaceful with no anxiety… this may be life after the long hard sufferings of his historic life. He laughs for the thought. It been a while he just lie there and he was doing nothing. In a moment a girl with blonde hair, wearing long electric-blue beads in her neck and wrist with her short black dress entered in the patio, she's completely blank, emotionless, she walk towards him, still he hadn't notice her or just ignored her.

"Ahhhhh!" he yawned, "I wish every day is today!" he said dreamily.

"Well, you will be IN today but not tomorrow!" she said coldly to him and put away his headphone.

"Anna! Why are you here? Is dinner ready?" he said innocently.

"Dinner? It's only afternoon! And hey, did I told you that I am living in this house also?" she demanded to him, "Get up! You lazy bum…. And start your training!" she roared at him and kick him to get up.

"Training! It's been after the tournament and I had training!" he protested.

"So… You will not follow my order?" she said sharply, he was stunned.

"I…. of course I will obey you Anna – chan…" he replied nervously.

"Good." She said shortly and cross her arms. "Be back after three hours or more… three kilometers sprints, one thousand sit-ups and squats!" she told him coldly. "Then, go to the grocery and buy our food for dinner… I don't want to eat that was bought in the restaurant, you will cook dinner… is that clear?" she demanded a tone of don't-dare-disagree-or-you'll-pay and saw her left hand ready to slap his face. He gulp his throat 'I am home again, I bet!' he thought. Amidamaru materialized next to him, his spirit samurai warrior.

"Yoh-dono, I think master Manta had arrived." He informed him as they had heard some banging sounds in the gates. Anna scowled and made her way inside the house. Manta came to them with his miniature motorcycle. He wears a pleasant smile with his blonde hair swaying in the chilly breeze. He was not that tall, in fact he was more an elf than a human (Anna often calls him shorty) for he is a midget.

"Hey Yoh, what's up? What Anna had told you?" he asked. "I heard she was shouting and howling a while ago."

"Manta! She told me that I had to do my trainings." He said to his friend shortly. Manta didn't have a surprise of what he had told him. He had thought Anna would continue his trainings even the oracle bell rang the day they had returned to Japan and announce that Yoh is the proclaimed shaman king.

"Well then let's go, we don't want Anna to be mad." Yoh said and start his trainings.

"Good idea." His friend agreed.

While in the field nearby the Funbari Junior High School, Yoh was panting for the long meter running. He just grasps for breath and stops for a while and starts to run again.

"Yoh- Kun, you should rest for a while…It's been an hour your running for miles." Manta told him with concern. "Master – Manta is right, Yoh-dono, you are grasping for breath." Amidamaru agreed to Manta. Yoh stares at them and still grasping for breath, "I don't think so, Anna might sent some spirits to follow me.." he said under his breath and grasping for breath.

"You might be right but, she will understand." He said to Yoh.

"No. I don't want to Anna to know that even after the shaman fight I still hadn't improve my strength and skills." He demanded to the two.

"Well, if that's what you want Yoh-kun, but we should make it a little bit slower." He agreed.

"Ok. That may be arrange." He held a carefree smile.

As they walk they pass the Funbari Junior High School they caught up to its scenery, it's been a long time they hadn't gone thru there to study their lessons (for Manta only, Yoh always been sleeping during class hours.)

"When will you go back to school, huh, Yoh?" Manta asks his friend still looking to the school. "Maybe this coming Monday, I will be back, you know, I want to catch up to our lessons."

"Me? Maybe Monday also, I dunno, because you know, the oracle bell had rung and maybe I will have another trip to America for the coronation or whatever it is called. Hehehe." He responds.

"Oh! I nearly forgotten that matter, do you think we can also go there with you?" Manta said excitedly. Yoh gave him a grin. "Of course, the Great Spirits won't mind ne?"

They both laugh and continue walking.

"Yoh-dono, was your grandmother had arrange the date you will be crowned?" Amidamaru asked him.

"I don't know, obaasan hadn't told me about it, well it is better if we should just ask the Great Spirits to have just the message of the oracle bell as a proof that I am the new shaman king." He told them and was not as exhausted as before.

"But Yoh-dono, how would the shaman community know that you are the new shaman king, if it's only the message of the oracle bell as your proof, what if it has been deleted." The samurai asked.

"Yeah, that's a good one, how could they respect you and don't you want to be famous to all shamans?" Manta agreed to Amidamaru "the message would be deleted if someone who would break in to your house and delete it or worst stole it!"

"Who would have the interest to delete it or stole it to me?" he asked innocently.

Manta shook his head for his friend's a little bit of slow to catch up the whole point and say with his gritted teeth "Hello? Yoh? What was the shaman fight for? Of course many of the shamans who had joined the tournament are for POPULARITY! Don't you think if someone had known that **you** are the new shaman king they won't be envious! Of course they would do all they can to turn you down and… worst to become a new shaman king! Got it?"

Yoh became dumbfounded and hadn't spoke a single word for a minute or two and "Would you like to explain it again Manta?" you asked and looked puzzled. Manta put his hand to his forehead "You don't understand what I had said do you?" Manta asked him with a sweat drop. "Ok, for example, we had a get together or victory party for you're winning, and here comes that roguish Horo-Horo who had just entered you're room unnoticed for everybody was busy in the party and… had accidentally saw your oracle bell…." He told Yoh loosing his cool to his friend "Then… let's just say he had some interest with that oracle bell… and he accidentally deleted all the messages in the oracle bell… and then he had told you that he had deleted the message… then we are doomed!" Manta finishes and stares to Yoh and prayed in his mind that he had got the idea... Yoh became silent and grasp "But how could Horo-Horo would done to me such a mean thing?"

Manta and Amidamaru exchange looks. "It was only an example, Yoh-dono."

"Well, you two got a point there…" Yoh said grinning. Manta who was loosing his temper a while ago smiled to Amidamaru who gave him to a smile.

"But the Great Spirits had chosen me as the new shaman king so, if the message was deleted, it would not be a problem, I am the new shaman king, they would not launch a new shaman fight just I had deleted the message or someone had stolen the oracle bell. Ne?"

"Good point! But it is much better to have some 'legal' ceremony to know that you're the new shaman king to the public. Hehehe." Manta said brightly.

"I would live in luxury!" Yoh exclaimed dreamily while continuing to jog "Well, its only a few meters and we'll going to the grocery store to buy our dinner, Anna would be mad if we bought a cooked food, let's go."

"You should not say that in front of Anna, she will **extremely** mad at you." Manta said as he catches up his friend together with Amidamaru.

"What? The last one?" he asked not turning his back to him still jogging.

"No! The first one!"

It's about to dark as they had reached the grocery store to buy their dinner. As they had entered the store Yoh thinks of a good dish to eat for dinner, just a simple dish would do, for fast cooking time, Manta suggested him.

"How about eel with a special sauce?" Yoh asked him innocently.

"That will take a long preparation and cooking time, and it needs a special sauce, do you know how to do the sauce?" Manta asked him as he held a cabbage in his hand.

"Ryu can do the sauce, his an excellent cook!" Yoh replied to his friend and also seeks for a good vegetable in the trays.

"But Ryu was not in Funbari this time, he had gone to the North… you know… his best of place..."

"Oh! I had forgotten so no eel for tonight… how about ramen?" He demanded to Manta.

"That would be nice; it's easy to eat… besides Anna-chan likes noodles." Manta agreed.

Yoh and Manta had search for the ingredients for the ramen and paid it.

Before they had reach the house they had bump into a classmate and went to their classmate's house and copied some of their lectures and bade goodbye and soon they notice that it was been late 'Heavens! Anna would be mad to me!' and he gulped his throat for the thought.

For minutes they had reached home, there were no light, except for the lamp that was lit infront of the inn. As they draw the gates open they shivered in the loud shriek of the gates. They tip-toed in the patio were the lit lamp was lighting their way to see their own faces with a trembling smile. "Anna might be asleep" he said to Manta in a low soft voice, so soft that it was sound like a whisper. 'I wish…' he thought.

As he tried to open the door, the plastic bag that he still had in his hand rubbed to the wooden door and make some hissing sounds. "Here, let me get those." Manta insists to get the bags to loosen the noise. Then tried to open the wooden door again, and as he turn the knob clockwise he close his eyes gently and prayed that Anna would not emerge in the other side of the door and would yell at him for being late. The door spun open a crashing sound echoed through the hallways of the inn.

"A piece of wood." Manta said as he saw the wood that made the noise.

The trio sighs for entering the house alive.

"That scared me half to death!" Amidamaru exclaimed.

The two sighs again but still their heart keep on pumping.

"How could you scare half to death but you were _dead all along?_" Anna said with an icy tone and suddenly appeared in the hallway and walking towards them.

The three jumped and were stunned.

"AHHHHHHH!" Manta screams and went directly to the door and tried to open it.

"Will you keep it down shorty? Do you want to wake the neighbors in the middle of the night?" Anna said taking Manta's sleeve from his back side.

"Anna-chan, I'm sorry, you see we had met our classmate in Funbari Junior High and asked him some details to our lessons." Yoh said as his head towards the ground.

"Had you got dinner? I am starving here all along… If I hadn't cooked dinner for myself I swore I had eaten the futons in the bedroom!" Anna said with an angry tone.

"You had cooked dinner?" Yoh asked his fiancé

"Yes. So go along in the kitchen I had some for the both of you." She demanded and made her way back to the hallway "And don't disturb me, I will take a bath and go to sleep…" she said without turning to them and leading her way to the hotspring. The trio was left behind. "And Manta, since you're here go wash the dishes." She said as she disappeared out of sight.

"Yes Anna-chan!" he replied with teary eyes.

As they ate the last bite of the sushi Anna had made for dinner Manta asked a question that also puzzled Yoh. "Had you wonder that Anna had been doing this kind of stuff just nowadays? I mean she didn't do this" as he pointed the remaining sushi had in his hand

"Well, yeah she maybe had change." Yoh said dreamily. "Maybe she's shy to do these things earlier."

"SHY? How could that be?" Manta was puzzled.

"She's an itako, remember?"

"Then?"

"Itakos are emotionless and social inactive by nature, Manta."

"Ah, so she seems very tough before…" As he put his hand in his chin.

"Ahuh… Manta I'll help you wash the plates." Yoh insist.

"A…No you had been enough work today."

"You're sure?"

Manta nodded and clean up the dishes they used. And when he got it to the sink he noticed that it was more than a one bowl in the sink. Bowls, tea cups, and metal chopsticks that was there. "I think Anna-chan was way too hungry to use just one bowl."

"Why?" Yoh asked and saw the piles of bowls and tea cups and scattered metal chopsticks. "Anna would just use one bowl and a tea cup if she was hungry, she would not use other bowl for rice…"

"I thought that too." Manta said looking confused. Yoh also became confused 'what Anna would with those utensils… would Anna had invited somebody to have dinner? Who would be? Anna hadn't had friends except for his friends also, but they were not in Funbari this time, Manta had said.

It was late when Manta bade goodbye to Yoh and Amidamaru. Before going to his own room, Yoh had passed Anna's room, it was as quiet as she was 'she must be asleep' he thought... but still he was still bewildered about a while ago… 'why would she invite someone to eat dinner and hadn't told him about him' it still bothers to him, 'maybe she'll told me tomorrow, right, tomorrow, she might clear it to me.' And then he went straight to his room and fell asleep.


	3. the oracle bell sings anew

**Chapter 2: The oracle bell sings anew**

_It was just a bright day at the inn; it was weekends so Yoh was just relaxing to his room and watching television. He didn't know were Anna was, He only known that Anna was inside the house. 'Maybe she'll also watching television.' He thought._

'_This was the perfect life!' he thought as he lie in the futon 'living in an inn, eating three times a day, relaxing and most of all NO TRAININGS!' he grinned for the thought._

'_I hope Anna would not gotten a new schedule of trainings, besides the shaman tournament was finished, she would have no reason to order me to do trainings, hehehe.'_

"_Yoh-dono!" Amidamaru emerge from his back side. Yoh spun himself to got the clear view of his samurai spirit, "What's the matter Amidamaru?" he asked him and still has his thoughts of relaxation._

"_Nothing Yoh-dono, I was just not used to it, you see very 'silent' life." He told his master sadly. "You see, I miss those happy buds we've met while the shaman fights had erupted."_

"_Well, I surely miss them too, but Anna-chan would not want them to be here, and besides they had to go to their own lives, I wish they would pay a visit to us." He agreed to his spirit. "I sure wish too." Amidamaru said sadly. "Yoh-dono, I am wondering how they are now?"_

"_I think they had their time of their lives, Ryu had gone to search for his 'best of place' and Ren with his sister had gone back to China, they must be working hard there to clean up their name to their homeland." He replied and sips his lemonade in the table next to him, "Horo-Horo and Pirika had been in the north to plant those plants Kororo used as their home, I don't know about Chocolove and Lyserg for they flew to their home country."_

"_When will Master Manta get here?" Amidamaru asked hopefully._

"_Oh! I reckon just a few minutes from now, you know we could pay a visit in the cemetery today, I know you are dying to see your friends there." Yoh exclaimed with excitement. Amidamaru stares at him 'how could he say I am dying to see my friends there when I was died for ages!' Yoh wink at him and let out a hearty laugh._

"_Wait! Yoh-dono, I sense that someone was in our house…" Amidamaru said with a serious tone._

"_It could be Manta, go check out, I'll follow you down stairs." He ordered his samurai warrior. "But it was not Master Manta;" Amidamaru said "I'll check out and see who it was."_

_Amidamaru disappeared out of sight, Yoh stands and made his way to the landing and found no Anna outside the rooms, 'she must be taking a nap'_

_In the meanwhile at the gates of the Funbari inn, a boy with jet black hair and wearing yellow top and black shorts was fighting his urge to go inside the inn, 'do I have to do this? Not because of Jun, I would not travel away here to Japan to just give this presents!' he exclaimed and talking to someone that was completely invisible. By a split second a warrior materialized next to him, "You can do it Master Ren!" he said to encourage his master._

"_Will you shut it Bason, maybe I just ring the doorbell and leave the present here." He said coldly._

"_But Master Ren, don't you want to see Yoh Asakura? It's been long you hadn't seen him."_

"_Will you be quiet? I am just here to deliver my sister's present for that lazy Yoh ok?"_

"_Ok, But how could you ring the door bell if there wasn't any?" his spirit asked innocently. Ren shook his head and yell to his spirit, "Well I'll just knock! You idiot!"_

"_The inn was way too large and maybe they would not hear your knock!" Bason replied feeling his little master a little bit of nervous or shy to meet his friend. Ren burst his head, and feeling nervous._

"_What do you want me to do Bason?" Ren asked his spirit with anger._

"_Go inside the house!" Yoh emerge to the gates and grinning endlessly. "What's up Ren? Bason! What was that brought you two here."_

"_Yoh?" Ren said in a tone that was not his._

"_Hi Ren Tao, Bason!" Amidamaru greeted the two._

"_Let's go inside." Yoh offered the two and made his way to the inn._

"_You know, Yoh, I am just here to deliver this present from Jun…" Ren said gaining his cool again._

"_And of course to meet you too, Yoh Asakura." Bason said to him. Ren glared at him, Bason just dead quiet._

"_Say Jun our thank you's, how was you, you know me and Amidamaru were just talking about all of you a while ago." Yoh said and held his carefree smile again to Ren and Bason. 'Here goes his stupid smile again, wonder what they were up to when we had gone to our own lives'_

"_Just like before, it was a bit unusual to do the things we don't normally do." He answered as Yoh open the front door and walk inside._

"_What things?"_

"_Like treating our slaves right," Ren said airily_

_Yoh's eyebrow raised a bit, "Making a new reputation to your name was a way too hard ne?"_

"'_Course, it was not my nature." Ren replied and they both laugh. Ren sat at the futon. "What about you? Does Anna gave you her another 'hell trainings'" _

"_Nah! She hadn't… for now…" he exclaimed and they both laugh again loudly. _

"_Speaking of Anna where was she?" Ren asked as he scans the room. "I dunno, maybe at her room taking a nap."_

"_Don't think I am going to your personal life Yoh, just want to ask…" Ren said lowly._

"_There was no other personal question to me than 'how many times you sleep a day'."_

"_What will happen to the both of you since the tournament was finish, did your obaasan had told you what her plans for you." Ren said with a serious tone. "Huh? That, I don't know, obaasan hadn't told me about that matter, well maybe we may be end up anyway."_

"_Do you like to end up with her ne?" Ren said with his eyes widened that he heard that Yoh was doing some disgusting thing. "What would I do I am stuck with her, but I think I can handle it, with the years I've been with her I perfectly know her, besides I had no other girls I want, and known…"Yoh said thinking if he had said the right explanation. "Whatever what will happen I would not like to speculate, how about some cup of tea, Ne?" he asked his friend _

_Ren nodded, "I'll help you." 'It's okay,"_

"_No, I insist."_

_They both made their way through the kitchen as they draw nearer the kitchen they had found an arousing smell, some kind of a cooking food…_

"_Had Ryu break in to your house without permission today huh, Yoh?" Ren asked him puzzled and stopped._

"_I don't think so; Ryu was gone to Funbari nowadays… maybe it was Manta all along…"_

_They start walking again to the kitchen and reached the door, and yet the aroma was really tempting… 'But Manta was not that good in cooking for had that alluring smell of food?' he suddenly thought as he turn the knob of the door and open it the odor of a mouth-watering food was really going inside their nostrils. _

"_Hey Manta When did you-" Yoh cut-off of what he saw; an Anna wearing an apron and a cooking spoon in her hand and next to her was a cauldron with simmering stew._

"_HOLY KATANAS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" They both screamed at the top of their voices, they couldn't believe to what they are seeing Anna cooking?_

_Anna raises her eyebrow and slaps the both of them. "What was that for?" Ren asked her angrily and rubbing his cheek. Anna glares the two, Yoh who was stunned of Anna's actions became speechless. "Cant you see I am cooking? Now go back were you came from and don't pest me!" she said coldly and goes back to the stove. _

"_Hey, is this what she done after the tournament, I think she had a trauma!" Ren whispered to Yoh. "No. This is the first time she had cook for us." He answered him in a low soft voice also and watching his fiancé cooking in the kitchen._

"_We'll maybe she just wants to be a good wife to be huh, Yoh?" Ren teased him as they sat to the chair in the dinning area in the kitchen Yoh became red with that._

"…"

_They watch her as she put some stew to the bowl and got some other bowl in the nearby plate dispenser. She seems quite happy in doing that, or he only thinks she was happy, but he knew also she was happier seeing him in pain in during trainings, he sighs. Ren gapped at him and cast a look that seems like wedding-bells-are-ringing. Yoh became red again and look in a different direction but he can't fight the urge to watch Anna preparing lunch for them. For a second thought why should he be shy in terms of the word 'wedding' that will be and her fate all along, since they were young._

_For minute the doorknob turn clockwise and Manta emerge from it, "Why was the front door open Yoh-kun, and I had bought -HOLY LAPTOPS WHAT ARE YOU DOING ANNA!" Manta shrieks with astonishment, it was the same reaction that Yoh and Ren had done when they found Anna cooking lunch._

_Yoh grinned to him and also Ren who fight the urge to laugh. Anna ignored him and go on to what she's doing._

_Manta approaches the two, "Had she?" he asked in low voice that Anna might not hear it. "Yes... She was the one who cooked lunch." Yoh said shortly. _

"_Gone to mad!" Ren whispered to Manta so Yoh could not hear it._

"_Well, then stop questioning and eat my stew…" she said as she slams the three bowls of stew in the table. She stares to them and cast a look that says don't-dare-day-it-was-taste-bad-or-I'll-knock-you-out. They all sipped the stew, Anna stares at them and wait for their reaction._

"_Well?" she demanded_

_It as great, it taste like Ryu's cooking, but not as good as Tamao, but it taste great compared to Manta's cooking._

"_It was great, not bad Anna, you are better than me." Yoh said to her that sound like praising her. Anna spun herself around and said, "Good, You know I hadn't cook for ages." Then she left the kitchen and go straight to bathroom to clean her hands._

"_She had cook before?" Manta said with surprise._

"_Hai! She uses to cook when we were little for obaasan's trainings for her." He said shortly as he spun his head to direction Anna had passed._

_They spend the afternoon in chatting and they had paid a short visit to the cemetery were Amidamaru introduce all his ghostfriends to Bason. They had a great time in the cemetery; it was dusk when they finally got home. Ren and Bason bade goodbye to Yoh, Manta, Amidamaru and Anna and said he will also pay a visit after a month._

"_It was a bright day isn't it Amidamaru?" as he walk to the inn's patio with Manta. "Yes it is Yoh-dono, it was a bright day." He agreed to his master._

"_Er, Anna, what would be our dinner, the stew?" Manta asked Anna dreamily._

"_Yes, the stew, and after that you two wash the dishes and the clothes, is that clear?" She said with the air of a commandant._

"_Yes Anna!" The both yelled like a sergeant._

"_Oh, Gosh I thought Anna had completely changed." Manta said to his friend as Anna left them in the patio of the backyard. "Well, no one could change just in a flick of a finger ne?" Yoh said with a grin in his face. Manta smiled at him and they both got inside the house._

_After dinner and washing the dishes and clothes, Yoh yawns in before entering his room and heard an odd sound… a sound that he hadn't heard for a long time… it was …_

_The oracle bell…._

_He approaches the singing oracle bell and found some flashing lights to it…and found a message in text form, it says:_

CONGRATULATIONS! NEW SHAMAN KING!

_It flashes endlessly, for eternity… it means that he… was the new shaman king!_

_He jumped to joy and rush to Anna's room with his extreme excitement he opened Anna's room door without permission. Anna was stunned with Yoh and he hurriedly told what the oracle bell had sent to him…Anna became stunned on Yoh's actions, Yoh had accidentally hugged her with his enthusiasm and Anna had given her worst slap to him._

…TBC

A/N: This chappy was a flashback before the first chapter, just to inform you all and remember reviews! I would love to hear those reaction from you… and all kinds of criticisms are welcome just take it easy…huh Yeah I know it was a bit (or really) shallow but I want you guys to know what happened after Yoh and the gang after the tournament, a peaceful life, living freely and no worries or threat of danger… at least not for now (Bwahahahaha) maybe the next few chapters expect the deeper side of the shamanic world…

vienne louis jean spellman


	4. the king's plan

**Chapter 3: The King's Plan**

The sun just peep outside the windowsill of the inn, it was morning and the inn has it's own stillness for it was like night. As the sun shine and greets the happy residents of Funbari Yoh wakes up for a new start. It kind of unusual that he, Asakura, Yoh had woken so early in the morning. Everyday Anna would walk inside his room and kick him to wake up but this day he had waken up by himself. He can call this as a 'self achievement' he grins for the thought.

"Ohayo, Yoh-dono!" his spirit greeted him brightly "You had woken up by yourself." He noticed.

"Ohayo, Amidamaru, I think so, it's quiet funny... Hehehe" he said happily to him and opened the window and look through a fantastic scenery… birds are chirping to the electric wires and looks merrily… the happy faces of people walking to the streets and outside their house… how peaceful he thought… it is quite mesmerizing… he yawned..

"Let's go Amidamaru, let's surprise Anna!" he merrily said to Amidamaru. But before leaving the room he had a glimpse of the side of his wardrobe, the hangers there… laid his orange headphones and his… oracle bell…

He gapped at his oracle bell… 'Yeah… I've dreamed of the oracle bell had given the message to me announcing that I am the new shaman king…

The first time I had received the message… but why I had dream about it last night…'

He approached the oracle bell; it was tied into a string and hung at the hangers beside his headphones. He reached for it and looks at it for a meanwhile… and then he opened it and reread the messages… the messages were there… even the message from the Great Spirits…

'What suppose my dream mean? Is that mean that I am really capable the title of 'king'?'

Yes, even now he can't believe that he was the new shaman king… not anyone but him…not because the many shaman had fought and he was a new victor… it was that he had not experience the inner happiness that he was proclaimed shaman king… is as if it was just a petty game of children… he don't know…

"Yoh-dono?" Amidamaru cut his thoughts. "Is there any problem?" he said with concern in his eyes.

"No. Nothing important… just want to get my headphones…hehehe." He blurted out a fake laugh and got his headphones and tucks it in his ears and hung again the oracle bell…

'I must know the true meaning of victory….' He said mentally in his mind.

The both of them walk down to the landing and found Anna at the kitchens and beating the eggs… 'What was she's up to? Manta was right… Anna was acting a bit of odd...'

"Ohayo!" he greeted her cheerfully walking towards her. "You are doing breakfast?" he asks.

"Do you have eyes? Just scramble eggs and bacon." She replied coldly. "I see your waken up early." She complimented him for his 'self achievement'.

He let out a laugh and grins to her. "Yeah kinda funny ne?" as he sat in the chair next to her.

"What are you doing?" she asks

"Watching at you."

"Huh? It is not a good start in the morning go on to the fridge and help your self for your today's work to make yourself busy." She ordered him like slave. Yoh got up fast like a lightning, which tone sounds she don't want to be watch… 'Ok. Just go to the fridge and she won't be mad.'

He looked at the fridge… he saw a piece of paper stuck in it with a magnetic holder it has large bold black letters on it… it was Anna's handwriting… it stated:

NEW TRAINING SCHEDULE

WEEKENDS:

MORNING:

SPRINT/JOGGING: 1 MILE/3O MIN.

PUSH-UPS: 5,000/1HR

SQUATS: 1HR 30 MIN

AFTERNOON:

SPRINT/JOGGING w/ WEIGHTS: 3 MILES/1HR30MIN

MEDITATION (NO SLEEPING!): 1 HR

CLEANING THE HOUSE (UNTIL SPARKLING AND SQUEAKY CLEAN): 3 HR

BUY GROCERY: 2HR

WEEKDAYS:

MORNING:

SPRINT (GOING TO SCHOOL): 5 ROUND TRIPS TO HOUSE TO SCHOOL/10 MIN

WALKING: 1OO TIMES IN THE STAIRS/ 20MIN

MEDITATION (SCHOOL BREAK): 1 HR

AFTERNOON:

BRISK RUNNING: 3 MILES/1HR

CLEANING THE HOUSE: 30 MIN

NO EXCEMPTIONS! NOT DOING THE TASK MEANS PUNISHMENT!

His jaw drop to the floor with horror… 'Anna wants to kill me!' he said to his mind. He gap at her who was busy beating the eggs… look how she beat the eggs… wonder what punishment she will gave him if he had not done the task she put in the schedule it was much more than before the shaman fight… she wants him to be lame after the whole day… she is really…

"Yoh? Why are you taking yourself so long to absorb what I had written in that piece of paper?" She roared and spun around to see him… he looks pale… is that hard enough to do… just a little bit of training… "What are you doing there, get moving! Your time starts…" she glance at the clock hung in the wall, "NOW!" she said and Yoh rush hurriedly outside to run for his life.

"You are not going anywhere Amidamaru!" she bark at the samurai spirit and threw her electric blue bead to him to capture him and Alas! She captured him easily in one split second. He can't move with the tight beads onto his waist. "Ma'am Anna! Let me go!" he cried like a baby.

"Let Yoh be… he will undergo to another training and I want him to do by himself is that clear Amidamaru!" she said coldly and cast a look to him that means don't dare defy me. "Yes, Ma'am Anna!" he replied with his eyes had a waterfalls of tears.

"Good. Now we wait and we can eat breakfast if he can arrive here earlier." She said coldly and opened the cabinet and a small pocket book was seen. It was thick enough like dictionary with colors of white, red and blue. She picks it up and sat to chair next to her and starts reading. Amidamaru notices the book; he hadn't seen that book before. It must be new… but it looks like its pages are old and worn out he wonders why Anna is reading it. He saw the title of the book: _Itako through generations_ but Anna was a good itako after all why she reads it.

"Is there any problem?" she asked not looking at him as if she had another eye in her forehead that sees he was looking at her.

"Oh, nothing ma'am Anna…" he replied. "Er… how could you know if Yoh-dono is doing his trainings? Do you ordered the other spirits in the inn to watch him?" he ask her dreamily.

"No, I wouldn't do that even before… I had trust on him." She said covering her face with the small book.

'Of course, ma'am Anna would have trust to Yoh-dono…'

Meanwhile at the Asakura temple in Izumo….

A gentle knock was heard from the outside of the door were Kino, an old itako who always wear a sunglasses. "Yes?" she said with her old voice.

"Kino-sensei," a sweet voice transpires thru the paper woolen door of the room.

"What would you like for lunch, beef teriyaki or chicken?" she asked her master.

"Whatever you want, dear Tamao." She answered at the other side of the door. "Hai!" she said as she spun around to go straight to the kitchens… she halts for a moment and spoke in a shy tone, "when will master Yoh and Miss Anna will pay a visit here?"

A small smile lingers to the old lady, "Maybe a few weeks from now or even days." She said shortly. Tamao smiled for the news. Then she run happily through the hallways with her pink hair dancing on her side.

"That girl really likes our grandson ne?" an old man spoke next to Kino. He was almost balding and absolutely short like Kino; opposite to him a man with mask of a bird was laugh heartily. "I won! I won!" he said loudly.

"Ha? No! You are cheating!" the old man bark at him. "You are just a sore-loser father… I'd never lose when I am playing poker with you hahaha!" he barks as his father.

"Will you two stop playing poker!" she said the two jumped. And put away the pieces of poker in the table.

"I had received the formal date of the ceremony of Yoh's being shaman king…" she started.

"You had?" the old man asked with a different tone now.

"Yes, Yohmei… it will be held here…" she said while sipping her tea. "Here? In Japan?" Mikihisa exclaimed.

"Yes, here in Japan and here in our place." She answered.

"In the temple? How could be… they would go here… I thought it will be held in America for the Great Spirits are there… and the guardians…"

"Yes, I thought it also… but they said it will be held here in our place… the guardians will arrive the day of ceremony. They said it will take only for an hour…"

"When will be it?" Mikihisa asked.

"A few days from now… so we got to tell Yoh about it… I had made a letter for them…"

"They will go here, you mean. The day before the ceremony so we can prepare."

"And I had invited his friends to go here… maybe tomorrow we'll see them… I had given the letter to them before Yoh. I know Yoh must be dying to see them." She explained.

"Just his friends?" Yohmei asked once again.

"Other shamans are invited by the Great Spirits…"

"So there will be no Great Spirits in the ceremony?"

"Maybe so."

"And our plan about Yoh will start after the party his friend will throw." The old lady said coldly.

"By the way who will deliver the letter to Yoh?" Mikihisa asked as he sipped the tea of his mother.

"Tamao's spirits will do that, I will inform her later… what are you doing? Don't drink my tea! Get your own tea wont you!" Kino growls at his son and slam a wooden stick to him.

"You sure had eaten much huh, Yoh?" Manta said as he arrange the bowls in the sink.

"Yeah, with that schedule of mine… I sworn I will die just for a moment… Hehehe!" he said and laughs heartily. Anna didn't hear what he had said instead she was really keen in reading the book, Amidamaru told him that she had been reading that book after he was out. 'Wonder what that book says… maybe how to torture a man… that may be her inspiration…'

"Here you go Yoh… I think you should not wash the dishes…" Manta whispered to him. Anna was far enough to do hear what was their talking about.

"Had you seen my schedule, Manta? It says if I hadn't done even a single task I will have a punishment." He said in horror.

Manta cleared his throat and looked pale. In the moment Yoh finally remember the dishes last night… he told to himself to ask it to Anna… but Anna was busy. It okay he received fair enough slaps on her what worry for just one…

"Er… Anna…" he simply says as he washes the dishes. Manta looked at him with questioning eyes.

"Hmm?" she said shortly not leaving her eyes in the book.

"Can I have a question to you?" he said nervously.

"About the training schedule?" she said again without looking at him

"No, not the schedule. Just last night… I had seen many unwashed utensils at the sink." He said it fast. Manta stared at him.

"Pardon?"

"The unwashed utensils in the sink… do you had other company last night at dinner?"

"Company?" Anna put down her book and stares at him, "I had no company last night besides you and Manta… why…" she pauses and got her book again and spoke in a cold tone "Why, you hadn't wash those in the afternoon so it came that lot… in the evening. Had you remembered?"

"Oh! Sorry! Just Hehehe a joke hehehe." And he grins at her.

'I thought I had washed those in the afternoon… no nonsense I hadn't wash those… I don't know… I am confused!'

"Er… Yoh? What was the matter?" Manta said with concern. He stared at him because he was really confused about the utensils.

"It is ok Yoh, everybody can commit mistakes." He said comforting his friend. But it was not comforting… it makes him more anxious about yesterday… what if Anna had invited someone… he don't know… he is really worried about it… he had washed it before leaving her alone… there must be wrong in here.

Anna stands to her sit and exits in the kitchen. The two followed her to the main door of the inn. "Yoh… the invitation of the shaman king ceremony will be here…" she muttered.

"What tim?" Yoh said before he had finish his sentence his questions had been answered..

a large banging sounds emerge through the door and slams it open, the three stand back.. Manta was flabbergasted in the quick opened of the door. A whirling wind enters the inn that freak out Manta.

WHOOOOOOSSSSSHHHH!

"What was that?" Yoh shouted at the top of his voice.

The wind keep on going to them, Anna just stands near the door not even carried by the strong wind. In seconds later a swarm of letters flew through the door…

White enveloped letters with red stamps flew in all directions of the room.

"What was this?" Manta shouted.

"These are the letters?" Yoh said amazingly. He opened one of the letters, and the two animal spirits came out to it

"A-YE!" they both growled to them

"Ponchi and Konchi, did Kino-sensei sent this lot?" Anna said coldly to the two animals.

They nodded with agreement. Yoh was astonished of the letters. "Great entrance!" he said amazingly. "Obaasan sent it?" he said looking at Anna. She nodded

He read the letter with clear handwriting:

Dear Yoh,

The Great Spirits had gave me the formal date of the ceremony, it would take place in the day of Wednesday if you please, would you care go here for the ceremony for the ceremony will be held in our house. Yes, here in the temple, go here the day before or much earlier. We are cant wait to see you here.

See you soon here in the Asakura Temple.

Kino

"Going to the temple?" he asked the two pesky animals. Yoh and Manta stared for a moment. "Can I take Manta with us?"

"Yes! She said she will like if you invite your friends." Konchi replied to him. Yoh smiled. It means he can be exempted in Anna's 'hell trainings'.

"When will Kino-sensei expect us to be there?" Anna asked them.

"As soon as possible!" they chorused.

"Good, now, go outside… you two are not welcome inside the inn." She thundered at them at slams at the door and the two animals were left outside crying to go inside.

…TBC


	5. Izumo Trails

**Chapter 4: Izumo Trails**

Next day, it was a bright day but cruel winds would like to make their skins to fall off. Traveling would not best fit today perhaps for the winds that blew icy Siberian winds. Not good for traveling, winds are signs of bad weather. But what should they do? It was their schedule to go to Izumo, his obaasan was expecting them to arrive sooner for the ceremony that will held in Wednesday. So they were in his room with his friend Manta packing their bags for the trip.

"Ow… I think we should postpone are trip for today, Yoh-kun." Manta said as he glimpse in the window near him and saw the bright sun rays entering his room. "Even that bright sun rays can fool us, sometimes that intense light ray hides some dark clouds and could cause some bad weather."

"Maybe so. But were going to Izumo, good or bad weather, Manta. Besides were going to aboard the train, that won't cause problem." Yoh answered him with grin. "And obaasan is waiting for our arrival."

"Oh. Yes, she would. She must be excited as I am." Manta shriek with joy now that there was no trouble at the hazarding weather conditions. "But I wonder if you would like the guys to go to Izumo too?"

"Huh? What guys?" he said without looking to his friend and continued his packing of clothes.

"I mean… Ren…Horo-Horo… and the others?" He said facing Yoh. Yoh gave a tiny 'oh!'. "They might like to go there in Izumo and congratulate you as well." He said and zipped his luggage.

"Yes. I hadn't forgotten them, Ren was in China… and Horo-Horo and Pirika is in the north, but I don't know where the others are. So I just give Ren and Horo-Horo a letter before going to the station, you see I had wrote a letter to them last night." Yoh said as he pulled out to his luggage's pocket two white envelopes. "There might be a mail box in the station ne? Or maybe I just phone them in Izumo when we get there."

"Good idea, Yoh-kun. Let's go down, Anna-chan might be going berserk if don't get down there quickly." Manta said and lifted his luggage and worked his way to the door and opened it.

"You're right, she would be seriously go bananas if we could keep her waiting for ages."

"Speaking of going mad… what about those two pesky animal spirits of Tamao, they'll surely cause trouble and not to mention Anna despise them." Manta finally said as they step in the floors of the landing.

"I don't know, Anna will take care of them." He simply replied.

In the landing floor the saw Anna who hadn't got her luggage beside her instead she was crossing her arms and waiting for them.

"Did we keep you waiting, Anna-chan?" Yoh ask with a grin in his face. She shook her head and asks him, "All your belongings there?"

"Hai!" the both chorused.

"Well then let's go, there won't be anymore tickets for us if we just stand here, we've got to go there early." He said to them as he step to the ground and felt something odd in his feet; it was the last night's letters. It was not yet clean up. The whole ground was filled with those letters Konchi and Ponchi had brought last night.

"We can't go with that mess!" Anna said coldly. "Yoh, Manta start picking up those rubbish while I'll go to the spring to recharge." She said as she strode her feet opposite to them.

"But… But… Anna what about our trip, these can swallow up an hour cleaning this mess." Yoh protested but slightly feared of what he had said. "I mean… we can't get to Izumo faster with these." He blurted and stretches his arms to point the swarm of letters.

"And Konchi and Ponchi would ruin everything again…" Manta added.

Anna's eyebrows rose. "Ponchi and Konchi won't cause anymore trouble… in fact they would not cause trouble in our journey…" she said as the two materialized next to her and were wrapped with Anna's electric blue bead and was yelping loudly. "And don't worry about our trip to Izumo… I'll take care of it… we would arrive there sooner as Kino-sensei had thought of."

"We are going to miss the train!" Manta split out a worrying look.

Anna glared at him. "We are not going to aboard in the train." She said shortly.

"But… Anna… The train is the fastest transportation we can ride going to Izumo." Yoh objected with her.

"Well I suppose that THERE other mode of transportation faster than a train." She said ridiculously.

"Huh, But the bus is the only we can ride besides the train, but the bus is not that fast, it will take us ages to get there." Manta split out a worrying look at her again.

Anna glared at him and, "I said we will make it there before dusk." She said firmly and no hesitation.

"Before dusk?" Amidamaru materialized next to his master.

"How could we get there that fast Anna-chan? Even the fastest train won't make us there before dusk." Yoh asked her again calmly.

"We. Are. Traveling. On." And she pointed out their lowest part of their body. "Our. Foot."

"Our foot? This is completely insane!" Manta said with outrange and completely forgotten that Anna was around them. "How could we get there faster with our bare foot? We will walk?" he continued.

"Keep it down shorty or I'll make yourself walk for miles and miles way!" she roared with a threatening look at him. "And start cleaning you slugs!" she roared again and stormed out of their sight.

Yoh sighs. "I think you got her mad." He said grinning.

"Don't make me scared." He said firmly.

"Why? You are not scared?" he asked.

"I am scared to her for ages!" he said with a disgruntled look

They both laugh at what Manta had said. And start cleaning and picking up those letters

Meanwhile Anna had got inside the spring, and took off her clothes.

'I need to rest and recharge my strength, after this I would use too much energy…' and she leap in the tub of hot water.

'How relaxing…' she said mentally to her mind and poured a handful of warm water to her head allowing it to get wet.

'Izumo… you are just a few blocks away from us…' she said and dive her head to the warm water of the spring.

'I need to meditate also… without unificating my strength and my energy I cannot do what I need to do… all my strength… my energy… furyoku… charka…' she mumbled.

"Yoh-kun are these going to an end, I think I had a back ache!" Manta complained to his friend and massaging his back.

"Don't worry ne? Just rest for a while I'll take care of these." He said to his friend and still picking up the rubbish. 'Wonder what Anna was doing?"

"You see Yoh-kun; we can't get to your house with Anna's plans… I think this might be kind of a training, you know." He said in a relaxing tone and lying in the couch.

"You think so?" he asked him with alarm.

"Come to think of it, Anna wants us to travel using our foot! But for a second, she said to me if I kept complaining I would walk for miles! Get it!" he blurted out.

Yoh cast a don't-try-to-make-joke-this-time look to him, "This time, I am really sure Anna wants to kill me!"

"Don't worry Yoh-dono, Ma'am Anna won't do that, at least I think." Amidamaru cheered him up.

"Amidamaru! It is not comforting!" he cried.

"All things cleaned up?" a cold voice echoed to his ears and he felt a sudden fear in his stomach.

"Yes Ma'am Anna! All ready!" Amidamaru cried. Anna examine the two for a second and spoke.

"Well now, let's go." She said with an air of leadership.

"Err… Yeah… good idea." Yoh said and lifted his luggage.

"Follow me." She told them shortly. And she moved her feet to the door and got outside but they weren't going anywhere else, Anna was leading the way wrongly.

"Err… Anna-chan… the gate is this way…" he corrected her. Anna glance at him.

"I know." She said coldly with a dark look to him. "But this will be our way to Izumo."

"To Izumo, that's our backyard!" he corrected her again. "This is the gate we will pass the gate in order to get to Izumo."

Anna wore a sarcastic smile and go on with her walking to their backyard.

"I think Anna had lost her sense of direction." Manta whispered to him. "But it is good to follow her ne? I don't want to received a slap to her." And passed at him to follow her.

"What was gotten into her?" and shake his head and follow them.

"I think ma'am Anna wants to give us further instruction before leaving." Amidamaru suggested to him as they were at the back.

"But if she wants to give instructions, she can give it inside our house ne?"

"Oh! Good point Yoh-dono."

"Here we are." Anna said finally and halts to their own backyard. In their backyard he saw an unfamiliar in the ground a 10ft. diameter outline of a circle was drawn in white paint tumbled onto them.

"I don't remember we have that in our backyard earlier." Yoh said as he notices the huge circle.

"You would not remember that because, I had just drawn that circle last night." She told them as she circle the drawing and some kind of examining the circle.

"Nice drawing of a circle, what did you use for that a compass or-" Manta was cut off by Anna.

"I think I am ready." She said still looking to the big circle and completely ignored Manta.

"Ready for what?" Yoh said with puzzled eyes.

"Ready for the trip to Izumo." She told them.

"C'mon! lets go!" Yoh bark to them but before his feet could step around Anna stops him with a yell. Now he was confused, Anna said she was ready to leave but a second later she stopped him from leaving. What's with the circle that she needs to show them?

"C'mon, go inside the circle." She bark at them. "With your bags! Quickly! You three also!" she roared and pointed the floating spirits.

"What is this Anna?" Yoh ask as he got inside the circle.

"We are going to Izumo." She told them. "Through the use of an enchanted gateway."

"Enchanted?" Manta asked with mystified reaction.

"Gateway?" Yoh continue Manta's question.

"Also known as a _portal_." She finished her sentence.

"A portal? Yes… I had read about those but… it doesn't exist…" Manta yelled to her.

"What is a portal?" Yoh asked his friend next to him.

"A portal is a some kind of a way gate, a mystified way gate… can travel to different dimensions… I think that's what the spirits use to enter the heaven."

'Yes. A gate to open a passage to a whole different dimension or world… but I will not use that instead I will only open a portal going to the Asakura temple." She told them.

"Some kind of warping or… teleporting?" Yoh whispered with amusement.

"Yes. Kinda like teleporting but a bit different. I'll open the portal and we can get through there."

"And then we're on Izumo in no time."

"That's brilliant!" shouted Yoh who was really amazed with the process.

"But opening and traveling to the portal has a negative effect." She said seriously. "It will lessen the time of our journey but it will also not lessen our energy." Manta and Yoh exchange looks.

"Opening a portal is a tiring method; first the one who will open the portal would have the strength, the power, the concentration, and all the elements of our body… plus the physical, mental, spiritual and also social capabilities of the opener of the portal. Riding on the train make us tired, well this will also drain our energy… or even much more drain the opener's soul." She finished.

"What? You would risk your life just we can arrive there faster?" Yoh said and looked angry. Why would Anna risk her life but they can just aboard in a train.

"I am heavily trained. I can handle this." She said firmly without looking at Yoh.

"You never done this before, how could you say you are trained for this?" He howled at her stupidity.

"Why worry… draining my soul will be just a small percent of my mistake in opening the portal." She looked at Yoh for the first time after she said that she might loose her soul. "And don't you trust me?"

Yoh felt silent for a while and spoke. "I trust you Anna!" he roared.

"Good." She smiled oddly. And grab her electric blue beads to the spirits with quick motion. ("Were free! Were Free!" the two pesky animals shriek with joy.) 'Guide me kami.'

"Okay, just stay where you are don't move oddly whatever I will do." She instructed them seriously. With a split second she threw her electric blue around her and before it got to the ground it floated like there's no gravity on the ground. 'Oh… kami… help me with this'

She raise her hands and stretch it infront of herself and put her one hand on top of the other and yelled, "**PORTICULLIS!**" a deafening sound was heard through the whole backyard. And a shaking of the ground was felt.

"**PORTA!**" she again roared with all her might and changes her finger prayer position. Again the sound was louder than before and earth is really shaking like mad!

"**POWERS OF SPIRITS I CALL YOU! FIRE, WATER, EARTH WIND, TIME COMBINE!**" she yelled again and knelt and slams her both open hands in the ground. All of them felt as if the ground had been hit with a very huge massive thing that causes some impact but no craters seen.

"**LET ME OPEN THE PASSAGE TO OUR DESTINATION**" she again spoke but now with softer voice and closes her eyes tight and clutches the earthy ground. Yoh, Manta and the others watch her with amazement and tucking their fingers in their ears for the great noise that was heard everywhere.

She opened her eyes quickly, "**IZUMO!**" a clashing beam of light tumbled to them inside the floating bead where Anna was inside. Strong winds came too so they can't see Anna inside the bead of lights. Anna's hands poke outside the bright lights of the beads and grab them even it was floating in the air. She threw in onto Yoh and Manta, to the circle and Yoh felt the lights transported to them and also the strong winds coming to the ground that cause them to cannot see properly. "Anna? What is this? Is this the portal?" he yelled at her with all his might because it was very noisy.

"Yes it is the portal but I haven't open it yet!" she yelled back outside the circle. "Keep your eyes shut! All of you!" she added.

"What did she said?" Manta said who was having a hard time opening his eyes because of the blinding upwarding lights.

"Just keep your eyes shut!" he yelled back to him. And he took a last glance to the light, it was very bright and he can't hardly see Anna outside the outrage of the lights and the floating beads. 'Kami… help us…'

Outside, Anna stretch her hand upward with opened palms and cried, "**OUVERT!**"

The bright lights shoots out colorful rays of light with the shades of pink, purple, blue, green, yellow and red.

'THE GATE IS OPEN!' an unfamiliar voice echoed to their ears. Anna jumps inside the circle and in the twinkling of an eye Yoh felt that his navel being hooked upward and felt dizzy… he felt that his stomach had turned upside-down and rolling to the ground… like the ground goes around like rotating like mad! For a moment he thought he would faint, and then after just a few minutes of nuisance his feet slams to the ground and goes shaking and wobbling. He opened his eyes and saw a circling grassy ground. 'Is this our backyard?" he muttered in the thin air still dizzy. He found Manta and Anna kneeling onto the ground. Manta moaned with his dizziness. Anna got her feet up and stands weakly.

"Were here…" she mumbled, "Were here in Izumo."

"We are here?" he asked her as if he can't believe it and felt something in his stomach, he vomited to the grass.

"I think I am tire-d". Anna said as she falls to the Yoh's arms. 'She is surely tired of what she had done…' he thought.

"I am tired too Yoh-kun…" he heard Manta moan and fell silent.

Then he felt sleepy too and fall completely to the ground with Anna beside him.

…TBC

A/N: So this is it! They had traveled to Izumo through Anna's ability to open the portal but had they landed to the Asakura Temple? You all soon find out to the next chapter.

By the way thank you for all those who had review, those who had said this is or plead that this would be a yohxanna fic, well I am not going to follow you! Hehehehe I don't want you all to spill the beans hehehehe that's all, I will mention all those who had reviewed after the fic had been completed, Sayonara!

vienne louis jean spellman.


	6. Chained Tales

**Chapter 5: Chained Tales**

'I am going to slee—p…' he mumbled under his breath. It was exhausting he felt he was going to faint and spew out all the food he had in his stomach in dizziness. As if it was the end of the world… he never would like to take a trip again using a portal… it will surely drive him to madness! But sure, Anna had really shown how powerful she was. She can open a portal, no ordinary individual can do that, and even ordinary itakos can't. Luckily she had survived the trip… or what will be the circumstances if she lost her delicate life.

'Ajar!' Anna's voice echoed like droplets of water to a calm spring to his ears. He suddenly thought of Anna, where was she? He doesn't know where she was or even where he was. He began to open slowly his eyes. It was a dream… he was just slept. 'So all of those were just a mere dream…' He had just conjured up those things, it hadn't happen in reality. But it was just felt true. He saw a pleasant light in the room, indeed it was his room in Funbari. '7:00' he glance to the wall clock.

'So, it was just morning… We are just going to Izumo today.'

'Funny dream.' He muttered to his mind. He began to sit in his futon and yawn widely.

'Opening a portal is a tiring process…' here it goes again, Anna's voice. He looked everywhere in the room, Anna might be pulling some pranks to him. But Anna never does that, she doesn't like joke or even to smile.

'It can drain all your energy, worst it can drain your soul…'

"Who was that? Anna are you out there?" He asked calmly and softly talking to the paper door of his room. No one answered. This is mad! He thought.

'OUVERT!' Anna's voice yelled at his brain.

"What the?" he exclaimed and jump onto the futon. He was startled. It wasn't funny though, he thought. Anna might like him to be awake for the journey. Manta might be downstairs waiting for him. He slid his door onto the side to open it.

As he step to the empty hallways of their house he notices that somehow their house is a bit different, the hallway, the room decors, everything. But it's like he was home. Then a barrage of laughter echoed through the infinite hallways, he searched for the noise and saw a lighted room in the extreme end of his left.

'Manta might be in there' he muttered to his mind dreamily. But he thought also that Manta had a companion, who was he laughing at? Is it Anna, Anna never did laugh with Manta, even to him so Anna might not be Manta's companion. Who would that be? Everyone was not in Funbari. He's still confused but started to drag his feet through the wooden floor of the hallway.

It was again… the loud laughing… 'Who could that be? Laughing out loud early in the morning with Anna at the house?' As he draw nearer the room the laughing doesn't come to an end.

"Then as we open our door to our house a big blast of white fat envelopes zoomed inside! As if there was a stampede!" A familiar voice of a man was heard in inside the room. Everybody in the room laugh out loud.

'Who was that guy? He was kind of familiar… I had heard that voice before if I am not mistaken.' He muffled in his mind. A girl now spoke and he sticks his ears in the door.

In a matter of seconds everyone sounds as if they were given a present. Then the door opened without warning and he was seen by the people inside the room caught in the act eavesdropping in the door.

"Master Yoh?" the pink haired girl who opened the sliding paper door startled by his presence.

"Tamao?" he finally spoke reddening with embarrassment and took a short glance inside the room. "What are you doing here?"

"Yoh-kun!" a spiky blue haired boy came rushing to him to wrap his arms to his neck that really made his neck in pain. He wore some kind of a native clothing and keep on sniggering while breaking his neck.

"Are you going to kill the owner of this house oniichan! That is not a good welcome to him!" a blue haired girl now spoke and gave a big lump to his brother who let go Yoh's neck.

"It's okay Pirika, Horo-Horo just misses me much, hehehe." Yoh said and gave her a wide grin.

"Did anyone says MEASLES!" a dark boy with funny clothing bark in the corner of the wooden table.

"Don't dare try to make funny again!" a Chinese boy growled at him and put out his spear to threaten the dark boy. "I had enough boring jokes for ages!" he continued and glared at him.

"Ren, its okay we could have a couple of laughs… even it was corny." Yoh said to him.

"Master Yoh, you are awake." Tamao spoke again in front of him.

"Yes, Tamao… by the way what are you doing to our house?" he asked without hesitation.

"Yoh-kun? You haven't remembered what happened?" Manta finally spoke, who was next to Anna.

"Happened? What happened?" he asked again and made his way to the rectangular wooden table, were the others were using.

"I'll get Master Yoh food, he must be hungry." Tamao insist and went out of the room.

"Its okay, Tamao, I am not yet hungry." Yoh said to her with a smile. "You can sit here for a while. Tamao blushes to Yoh, offering her a sit and she made her way next to Yoh and sat in a futon.

Ren burst into laughter that everyone notices, then Horo-Horo join him in laughing. Yoh stared at them with questioning eyes that said why-are-you-laughing.

"You, know Yoh… I never thought you won't be starving after you all arrive here in Izumo."

"Izumo? Izumo?" he muttered to Manta who gave him a wince. So this is Izumo, they had arrive to Izumo… when… so it was true, it was not a dream, they really travel to Izumo thru the portal… how brilliant!

"Yes, we are here in Izumo… it's our second day of arrival here." Anna said coldly to him. He was not fascinating… but… second day? What the heck is all about; it was just yesterday… how come she said second day.

"Anna… it was our second day here?" he asked again not believing his own ears. Anna nods in agreement.

"Yes, Yoh-kun, it was our second day here… They said we are sleeping the whole day yesterday." Manta said.

"Plus… the day you lot arrive here." Horo-Horo corrected.

"We arrive here the day before yesterday… and we all sleeping since we arrive here!" Yoh yelled with surprise.

"Yes, Master Yoh, I had found you lot in the bush in the woods when I was picking up flowers for the vases…" Tamao joined with reddening face, "You were all sleeping like dead!"

"Sleeping?" he again blurted with surprise. Yes, he remembered… after his foot landed on the grassy ground he felt dizzy and spat and he felt he was going sick and fall in a deep sleep. But two days? Two days of sleeping, no eating or even drinking… he hadn't done that before… Anna never permits him to.

"Did I tell to you that traveling thru the portal **is** a tiring process?" Anna said sarcastically.

_Traveling thru the portal is a tiring process_. He remembered what he had heard… does Anna want him to remember what happened or it was just his pure imagination. He was now confused.

"Tell me Tamao, how did you found them." Ren asked her, "So, Yoh would believe that he, had drowse off for two days in a row."

Tamao blushes deeply and cough. "It was a bright day… the wind blew cruel icy breeze that day…" she started.

"Tamao… Yoh's friends had arrived…" Kino told Tamao in the stairs of the temple.

"Master Yoh's friends? They are here… this early, Kino-sensei?" She asked her with disbelief.

"_I had sent them letters of invitation for Yoh's ceremony… Yoh would like to see his friend in the ceremony, I guessed." She muttered to her, "I want you to welcome them and pick them a cozy room." _

"_Hai! I will do it Kino-sensei." She shouted with agreement and fled to the gates of the temple._

_Her spirits fly through her running in the huge grounds of the temple. 'They were here… Master Yoh will be coming soon too.' She muttered to her mind, 'I am really excited.' She arrived to the main entrance of the temple and saw the familiar faces of their friends walking to the gate, The Chinese black haired boy, Ren Tao still has his coolness of being a warrior, next to him his older sister with long green hair, Tao, Jun with her power spirit, Lee Pailong, The funny Ainu siblings with colorful clothings are also there, the blue spiky haired guy, Horo-Horo, the blue long haired girl, Pirika, she uses to talk to her because Anna usually don't talk. The guy they met in America in the tournament, the dark guy with funny clothes, Chocolove. _

"_Konichiwa, Tamao-kun!" The girl greeted her brightly. Ren smirk and mumbled that sounds like 'At last!'_

_Tamao nodded to her a sign of greeting. "How was the trip?" she asked. _

"_It was fine." Pirika answered to her and slams her luggage to the sandy ground. _

"_Is Yoh here?" Ren started to her and scanning the whole place as if he hadn't been there. Tamao gave him a shook of head that means he wasn't there._

"_May I lead you all to your room?" She offered again. _

"_Wow! Brilliant!" Horo-Horo exclaimed with excitement when he opened his room, it was cozy… very relaxing… the colors… the soft futon… the portrait of the temple was hang in the wall. "Thank you Tamao." He said and got inside his room. Tamao gave him a soft "its okay." And leave him alone. _

"_When will Yoh arrive here?" Ren asked next to her. _

"_Maybe a couple of days from now… Kino-sensei had just ordered a spirit to send him a letter." She responds to him and starts walking and stops to the next door. "Here you go, Ren-kun, it is your room… just leave your luggage there… Kino-sensei wants to greet you and have a word to all of you."_

_Ren nods and got inside and slid the door soundlessly. Without a warning, Horo-Horo rushes to her and knock her off to the wooden ground of the hallway. _

"_Are you okay Tamao" Horo-Horo asked her with worrying look. _

"_She wasn't okay!" Pirika appeared behind him and gave him a strong punch in the cheek. "Why are you rushing to your life with?" she again spoke to his brother as if she was the older sister._

"_That hurts! You are my little sister! You should not shout at me like that!" he yelled, "And punch me like there was no tomorrow." He added and held a smile._

"_It was okay." Tamao said with a force smile, Horo-Horo is really clumsy; he was that ever since she met him. "What have you seen? I suppose you are not afraid of ghost?" he snorted._

"_That's silly! I am a shaman for ages and afraid of ghost!" He retorted a laugh, "I was curious if you are going to the kitchen… you know… I really love your boat tarts, I mean… can you teach me how to bake it?" he said with a big wide smug in his face that looks like he was thinking not nice._

"_BOAT TARTS!" Chocolove bark at them from the backside. Everybody jumped to their feet._

"_Can anyone just give a warning before popping out of nowhere?" Tamao said scowl in her face. She doesn't do that always._

"_Boat Tarts!" Chocolove said again and waling towards them, "you all mean the tart that can use in traveling thru water?"_

"_No. The one that can travel thru the air." Horo-Horo said to him sarcastically, "It was a staff of life, you bubble brain!" he added._

"_Maybe, I'll make tarts… when master Yoh arrive here." She said it with a flaming red face. Horo-Horo stared at her with suspicion. "Oh, well, Kino-sensei is waiting for lot of you downstairs in the room; she said she would like to talk to all of you." _

"_A cup of tea?" Ren emerge to the sliding door, who had changed his clothes. Everybody jumped to Ren's presence. Tamao sighs and led them to Kino's room._

"_This is Kino-sensei's room. Come inside" she insist and opened the door. It was a large room full of prayer accessories, portrait of past residences of the temple, the floor was made of shiny woods and the ceiling was pure white. The aroma of the incense was lingering the room, lit candles are in the cabinet with Japanese characters, that says _Successors of sabbatical land_. In the center of the room, a short but wide table was seen; a short old lady was sitting in the pillow seat and having a tea._

"_They are here, Kino-sensei." Tamao finally announce to her master. She spun around and found the four young guests._

"_Come, have a tea here." She said with her old voice. Everyone walked towards here except for Tamao who remained in the door. "You too, Tamao dear." She added. Tamao quickly came to her._

"_Ah!" She started, "Nice to see lot of you here to support our very own grandson." She spoke brightly, Tamao had not seen Kino that happy seeing Yoh's friends in the temple, for years Yoh hadn't brought friends when he was still not in Funbari, he was lonely, he hardly had friends. _

_She held the kettle full of steaming o-cha and pours it to the cup next to her. Everyone was gone silent, even the noisy and nosy Horo-Horo and Chocolove didn't dare speak, they knew that Kino was Anna's itako trainer, since she was an itako too, they were afraid of her that she might bite like Anna._

_After of a long silence and sipping their tea, Kino spoke to them. "Listen…" Everyone caught their attention, they looked at her intently. "I want you lot to organize a party for my grandson… after the ceremony."_

"_A party? Does the Great Spirits would not throw a victory party for him?" Ren finally spoke. _

"_They would not, unfortunately. But we are, I want you to all give him a welcome to his new duty."_

"_As a new shaman king." Ren retorted while Chocolove and Horo-Horo still gone silent._

"_Yes, I want him to feel that he was really fit to be the new shaman king." She said shortly._

"_That was brilliant, I really want to throw a party for Yoh, but I haven't got much money for the party… if all of us would organize it, it will be more terrific!" Horo-Horo bursted._

"_Good, I wouldn't like to plead to all of you." She said with her old voice and held a forceful smile. "Have you like our place?"_

"_Yeah, but a bit old… but it was fine." Ren snapped._

"_I want you all to feel free in our house, Yoh's friends are also our friends." She said._

"_Yoh's grandma was not that bad than I thought." Horo-Horo whispered to Chocolove who was next to him._

"_Yeah, I thought she was kind like Anna." He responds to him with a soft voice._

"_Well then that was all I want to say to all of you." She said. Everybody got to their feet and got out of her room._

"_I never thought Yoh's obaasan was not like Anna, grouchy…" Chocolove said as they walk in the stairs to their room._

"_Would you care to join me to a stroll in the woods Pirika?" Tamao asked her with a small smile. Pirika looked at her and didn't think and say 'yes'. The guys thought it was a 'girly bonding' and didn't join the two and instead they gone up to their rooms and take a little nap for they were tired in the trip._

_The woods in the temple was not that full of trees, actually it has more bushes and high grass like bamboos, the air was still chilly, still cold but they wouldn't mind. They walk thru a little lagoon and went straight to the flower patches of the woods._

"_How was the tribe?" Tamao said dreamily._

"_It was fine, oniichan and I was busy planting Kororo's plants." She replied with proudness. Tamao held a smile, even the annoying Horo-Horo was light-hearted inside, and he really cared for that Koro-Pokuru in the north._

"_Hey! I want to pick those flowers!" Tamao cried as she point the beautiful chrysanthemums in the bush. "I want to put those in the vase." She said as she rushes to the bush._

_Without a warning a loud cracking sound echoed through the woods and ground-shaking feeling was felt that was very strong that they both fall to they knees in the ground._

"_What the heck was happening?" Pirika yelled at her, that she hardly heard with the earwax-falling noise everywhere. She hardly sees what was happening for the shaking of the ground. She prayed that it would stop._

_After a few seconds, the chaos stopped dead. Pirika rushes to her like a baby with fear. They crawl to the bush with the chrysanthemums and heard common voices to the other side of the bush._

"_Were here." A girl spoke in a cold tone but somehow sounds weak. "In Izumo." She continued._

'_Ma'am Anna? Is that you?' Tamao asked herself and wind the bushes and found three people, Manta, Anna and Yoh lying in the ground._

"That was awesome!" Horo-Horo barked with amusement to what had heard, "Loud noises, earth-shaking feeling! I want to travel to a portal."

"You wouldn't like if I tell you that it was really feeling sick if you travel to the portal." Yoh snapped at him. Horo-Horo smirks.

"Plus, who would open the portal, you? Give me a break." Anna said with sarcasm.

Ren spit out a laugh, "Anna was right; opening a portal is a risk-taking process."

"Risk-taking? Ha! That's good one, you won't bring me down." He replied to the Chinese boy.

"Risk-taking means you would risk your life in opening such gateway, even you can travel thru the long journey." Ren said to him as a matter of factly. "But I never thought Anna could open a portal, usually, wizards, warlock, sorcerers, and witches are the ones can open a portal not shamans."

Anna spun herself around them so everyone can't see her face. "Are portals made of bright flashy lights?" Pirika joined to them.

"Yes!" Manta yelled with excitement, "It was splendid! I never seen those lights before, it was very extraordinary!"

"Wow!" Pirika let out a wide eye with her excitement as if she had picture out what a portal may look like.

"Ma'am Anna had not used that before." Tamao interrupted the two. Anna was still silent. Indeed Anna's abilities was very far behind her, she had not even knew how to use a medium, well, she was not an itako but she was indeed Kino's best student for ages. How she wish she was.

"How were you when the letters had not arrive to you lot?" Yoh asked them and elbowing the table infront of him.

"Us!" Horo-Horo asked, "We had a great time in the north…"

_The field of the northern hemisphere of Japan was icier than in Izumo, people usually wear thick wool of animals as protection in the nature's icy breath. The Ainus, the native tribe in Japan was the oldest tribe in the country._

_The whole tribe was living peacefully in the woods with thick ice when winter but it other seasons, it seems that winter didn't leave them for the breeze were as cold as winter season._

"_Oniichan!" Pirika cried as she sat into the plowing machine and having a little tantrum. Her brother dash towards to her to see what was the problem._

"_What was that Pirika?" he innocently asked her sister. Pirika eyed him for a second and let out an outburst of cry. Kororo comforted her by tapping her shoulder. "Pirika? Are you alright? Are you tired…? I'll do the plowing and you can do the seeding." He insists so that his sister would stop crying._

"_NO!" She let out a cry again, "The machine! It won't work!"_

"_The plowing machine? How come… it was bought just last week and it wasn't working, come, let me see." Horo-Horo pulled the long string to start it but it uttered a funny noise. He kicked the machine. "This is wicked!" he mumbled now he was having a tantrum too._

"_Oniichan, what shall we do? Should we inform this to mother and father?" She asked her brother with no hope of the machine working. Horo-Horo stares at her for a minute and looked again the machine._

_Pirika, too looked at the machine for a while and found something in the machine, a red circle with red pointed arrow points to some kind of a number, '0' "It was out of petrol!" she yelled to her brother, "You didn't put petrol in the machine this morning!"_

"_OH! I… Forgot!" Horo-Horo yelled with surprise and embarrassment. "Oh, what shall we do now… the store was way far here… and our stock of petrol was gone out?" Horo-Horo said with a sigh and fall in the ground._

"_What seems the problem?" A voice of man asked them._

_The two jumped to the man, he was wearing some kind like a singer… Elvis Presley to be exactly… and he wore a pompadour in his jet black hair; he holds a motor bike helmet and set his bike to the ground._

"_Ryu?" The two muttered, Ryu had not gone to north, he was living in Funbari, why was he here?_

"_What are you doing here?" Horo-Horo asked his friend with disbelief. Ryu retorted a laugh._

"_Is visiting friends, bad?" Ryu said as he let out a smirk._

"_Ryu? You are visiting us? How did you found our place?" Pirika joined them Horo-Horo stared at Ryu._

"_I heard you two are having a problem to your plowing machine, you had gone out of petrol." Ryu said as he walk towards the two and scan the machine._

"_Yes, we are gone out of petrol and the store is far far way." Horo-Horo explained to his friend._

"_Actually I had found your place just coincidentally; I was looking for my best of place and didn't notice that I was going to north so I pass by here in the Ainu tribe." Ryu retorted a laugh._

"_So, it was accidental." Horo-Horo looked at him with narrowed eyes. Ryu was still looking for his best of place. He was looking for it ever since he had met him in Funbari._

"_But luckily I saw you two, I really miss you all guy after the tournament we had not seen each other for a while." Ryu said as he crush the two's ribs in hugging them with enthusiasm. The two were in pain but was really happy seeing their friend after almost a month._

"_Hey! Fortunately I had bought an extra petrol in my bike!" Ryu said as he releases the two and got the container of petrol to the two Ainus. _

"_Is that okay? I mean what about you, Ryu?" Pirika asked him with concern. "What if you're out of gas… you should not give that to us." She refused._

"_It was really okay ne? Just give me a cup of tea as a welcome." He replied with a wink. Horo-Horo didn't like Ryu winking his sister, actually he don't want anyone to wink at his sister, for him it was a sign that he was thinking some thing not nice to his sister, even he was an annoying guy he still loves and protect his only sister and sibling. _

"_Alright! A cup of tea may do, but don't do that, that's disgusting." He said to Ryu._

"_I am just practicing how to wink a girl if I met a beautiful lady." Ryu explained._

"_How long are you staying in our tribe, Ryu?" Pirika asked him as she pours Ryu's cup a tea. _

"_Just a few days or I'll be leaving tomorrow." Ryu answered._

"_Why won't you stay for a couple of weeks, you know, we won't mind you are here." Horo-Horo said with glee. "By the way, how's Yoh?"_

"_Master Yoh? Well actually I had not visited him after the tournament and go on in finding for my best of place." He told the two who was watching him intently._

"_Ow… So you had not talk to him, I really want to know how he was." _

"_I think he was just darn fine there, with ma'am Anna would do all her best to train master Yoh."_

_Horo-Horo gulped, he thought that too, Anna was still Yoh's fiancée, no matter what she will stick to her 'hell trainings'. And speaking of trainings, Pirika uses to train him in the shaman tournament, how he wishes she would not do that again, it will surely drive him mad!_

"_Trainings? After the tournament? Well if Miss Anna trains Yoh, then oniichan would do that too, ne?" Pirika blurted. Horo-Horo was gone deaf for his sister what had said, this was hell! Because of Ryu his sister had remembered trainings! _

_After a week the plants were sprouting and some even are tall enough for the Koro-Pokuru to use as an umbrella or house. Kororo was really thrilled in the outcome of the two Ainu's hardwork; Ryu had gone to the tribe a week ago so he had no chance to see the beautiful green plants of the north, and how they wish he was still there to celebrate their hard work in planting the green plants. _

_It was a sunny morning a new day of caring for the plants as the Ainus made their way to the patches they spotted some kind of white things to the patches as they both draw nearer they saw white envelopes all over the field of the patches._

"_What are those?" Pirika yelled with surprise, those white envelopes are covering the plants's sunlight._

"_Envelopes! Had you got a pen pal?" Horo-Horo asked his sister with suspicion and cast a look to her that means don't-dare-say-yes._

"_No!" she answered with no hesitation, "I don't have pen pal, and excuse me! I think you have one!"_

"_What!" he can't believe it; his sister is accusing him having a pen pal? How she would think of that, "I don't have!" he snapped to her and got one of the envelopes. He opened it and saw a piece of paper with some kind of foreign handwriting. He tired to read it but it was not readable. Pirika approached him and looked at the mail, she didn't understand the writing, and who would an idiot write to them with foreign language? _

"_That was funny, for a second I thought you had just forgotten to read!" Pirika said to him dreamily._

"_Mother! Father!" They both yelled at the top of their voices and holding envelopes in their hands. They opened the door and piles and piles of white fat letters emerge to the door. _

"_What on earth is this! Horo-Horo explain yourself!" His mother let out an outburst of anger._

"_I didn't do that!" he said shortly._

"_I didn't do that either!" Pirika added that her mom might accuse her._

"_Alright then, who did this?" His father asked. _

"_We don't know, some one had send mail to us with foreign language!"_

"_Foreign language!" His father said without believing the two and opened one, indeed it was, "It was Italian!" _

"_No! It was Korean!" Horo-Horo corrected his father._

"_I think all of these letters are composed of different languages."_

"I'm sorry Horo-Horo for the trouble, I suppose it was Carlx who wrote to you… he was a bright spirit, and he knows almost all the language in the world including the insect language."

"It's alright; it was not your fault. Even mother and father gave us some punishments."

"So, Ryu hadn't got a chance to notify about the celebration."

Horo-Horo let out a nod and, "We don't have any form of communication to him…"

"So much for story telling, I am starving!" Anna complained.

"Oh! Sorry, Miss Anna, I was kinda relaxed… I'll get the breakfast."

"No. its okay we all go to the dinning room."

Tamao held a small smile to her face and all of them ate breakfast.

So Ren, Jun, Horo-Horo with Pirika and Chocolove had arrived too in the Asakura temple, but Ryu, Faust and Lyserg had not yet seen or not yet notified about Yoh's ceremony…

…TO BE CONTINUED…

A/N: On my first chapter I had warned you all that this is not a good fic so just stop your reading and find other fic that might interest you, I am just saying this because I don't want to put blame in your action, ok?

But if you are that keen, well continue… I had many scenes in my mind for those who really love shaman king in action…

Sorry for those who really like romance because I am concentrating in the general story of the shaman king, which is to amaze you all! Romance is my second genre and it will turn to loving couples for a few chapters, (am I spoiling you or what?) Don't worry for those who love anna and yoh together… but I didn't say they will be together in the end…

The fic will be in the romance genre when everything will go to the wrong way.

I want to know how you guys feel about my fic, praise, comments, suggestions, flames are welcome as much you can express your true feelings, thank you to those who had reviewed my fic, and I really absorb what you had said.

Next chapter will be… just guess hehehe (am I a cliff hanger or what!)

Ta-ta! And see you in the next chapter!


	7. Celebration Preparations

**Chapter 6: Celebration Preparation**

Just for a few days, celebration will soon filled the whole temple. This will be the first time in the temple that a big celebration will take place in history. Everybody was gone busy for the preparations. Anna was the one in-charge of cleaning the whole temple. (She was ordering all of them for the whole week and Horo-Horo keeps on complaining.) Anna gave Tamao the cooking for she was really good in that.

"Scrub! I want the floor sparkling clean!" Anna barked at Manta and Chocolove who was scrubbing the floor in the main temple. The two didn't dare complain for they might receive a slap to her and continue to scrub the floor no matter what; even they were scrubbing for hours.

"Ma'am Anna!" A spirit called her attention; she spun herself around to talk to it. "Miss Tamao had completed the list of food to be serve in the ceremony!" he announce to her, "She told me you can pick out those dishes that you don't like in the menu."

"Very well, say to her that I want see it." She replied to the spirit coldly.

"Now!"

"Of course now!" she glowered to the spirit and the spirit move aback. The two boys now watched her as she loose her temper to a spirit.

"She can't for now." The spirit retorted to her with fright.

"Why?" she said it coolly that the spirit sigh and talk in a calm tone,

"Miss Tamao has been talking to Mistress Kino." He said shortly.

Anna's eyebrows rise a bit and got back to her cool. "Well then, say to her that I want the list before Tuesday." She finally said. The spirit nodded and vanished out of sight and she caught Manta and Chocolove eyes to her. They both go on quickly to their scrubbing as if they saw something illegal.

"Continue you're scrubbing, I'll just leave you for a while." She said gone out of their sight.

"What's gotten into her?" Manta asked with puzzled looked, Chocolove just shrugged.

Meanwhile Horo-Horo, Ren and Yoh was in the kitchen, Horo-Horo was looking for something in the cupboard on the top of the sink, he was very busy searching that he forgot that Ren and Yoh was around the room.

"Where are those?" he mumbled loudly.

"What on earth is he looking for?" Ren muttered as he watched Horo-Horo throwing things from the cupboard.

"Horo-Horo was gone mad looking for those." Yoh exclaimed with a big wide grin in his face. He always sees Horo-Horo keen in finding for those.

"What those?" Ren asked him without hesitation, "is there something I need to know?" he then uttered with a suspicious eyes to Yoh who was busy watching his friend messing the kitchen.

"Oh, no." he disagree and gave him a stupid grin again.

"So what is it then?" Ren asked again now beginning to loose his temper.

"Boat tarts!" Yoh exclaimed with glee.

"Boat tarts!" Ren said sarcastically, "now I am really sure that he…" as he point to Horo-Horo busy looking in the cupboard, "was a dog." They both laugh out loud as if he can't hear them in the room.

"Hey! I heard that you shark!" Horo-Horo shouted to Ren and not turning his back to them while bags of groceries tumbled down behind him.

"Ooohh… the dog has special powers that was called…" Ren said with a mocking voice, "dog ears!" the two began again in rolled in the floor laughing.

"Are gonna stop teasing me or what!" Horo-Horo turned to them with reddening face.

"What's the matter? Can't your nose sniff the boat tarts!" Ren said and imitating a dog.

"Cut it out!" Horo-Horo said blushing and jumping down the sink and still blushing furiously.

"I think the boat tarts are not here; if you like I will ask Tamao." Yoh then said to him.

"NO!" Horo-Horo yelled.

"What is going on here?" Pirika appeared behind the door, she caught everybody's attention.

"Why are you here Pirika?" her brother asked him innocently, "don't you remember your chore for today?"

"I know, I was just been told." She merely replied to his brother.

"Told what?" Ren asked her sarcastically.

"Miss Anna told me to find you two blokes!" she snapped. Ren's eyebrows rise. "She wants you to trim the grass in the backyard."

"The grass in the backyard?" Yoh asked her in surprise, "Why?" Why would Anna want to trim the backyard, it was not that important or she just want them to be busy and would not cause trouble in the temple.

"I dunno, it was Mistress Kino's orders." She snapped at him. Yoh gave her an I-got-it look.

"My obaasan." He mumbled, why would his obaasan want to trim the backyard, is she not telling something to him? Or it was just for the celebration.

"I think she wants the whole temple to be presentable in the guest in the ceremony." She continued.

"Who are you referring to? Blokes!" Ren thundered to her, Pirika didn't move aback with his loud voice, she didn't even show any sign of fear to him. Instead,

"Obviously, you two bakas!" Pirika said to him as a matter of factly. Ren was stunned; he hadn't been shouted or answered back by a woman before except for Anna. He looked as if Pirika had slap a large stone to his face.

"I don't want you calling me names!" He again barked at her gaining his cool a few seconds.

"Tao, Ren, I don't like your tone in talking to me." She snapped at him, "That was not good treatment for a woman."

"A woman!" he shouted with fury, "Where! You! Ha! Give me a break!"

"It doesn't mean that I play rough, I am not a woman!" she shouted to him for the first time as if they were the only one in the room. Ren's face became red with rage, his head grow big in an alarming rate, and his hair grew higher that before. (anime style) "And it doesn't mean you see me as a guy, I also see myself as a guy too!" Pirika again yelled at him, Ren was not stunned like before he was beginning to get angry.

"What do you mean by that!" Ren he cried out loud that his voice echoed thru the room, "that you can call me names and be arrogant to me, who happens to be older than you!"

"I didn't say that, even me who was younger than you, is not respecting me as a woman!"

"Why! Because you are a woman you can dominate our world!" Ren finally uttered. Yoh was startled to his statement, while Horo-Horo was watching them like it was an interesting t.v. show.

"I didn't tell that. Well then, off you go, you two bakas! Anna might kill you if you don't trim the backyard." She said calmly as if nothing happens, Ren stormed the room while Horo-Horo and Yoh was left with her.

"And what should I do?" Yoh asked her softly that she might shout him as well.

"Nothing, she didn't mention you are helping." She said it sweetly with a smile and also left them.

"Did I tell you that Pirika had shown some signs of Anna-in-the-making?" Yoh grasp. Horo-Horo's mouth fell open.

"It was getting dark and still you two were not even in the half of trimming the grass!" Anna yelled at Horo-Horo and Ren who was still trimming the grass. It was dusk and all of them are in the backyard. Manta, Chocolove, Jun with Pailong and Pirika are sitting in a bench and watching the two being shouted by Anna.

"I really like seeing Anna using good words to everyone." Manta said dreamily, Yoh giggles to his statement.

"How was your chore for today, Manta?" He asked his little friend.

"Don't ever ask it, it was hell, isn't it Chocolove?" Manta said with a sour looked and face to Chocolove.

"Yeah, were like farmers!" Chocolove bursted with loud voice, "scrubbing the floor like was planting corn." Chocolove said, Anna didn't hear; Yoh gave him a sympathy look.

Next to Chocolove is Jun who was watching her brother trim the grass, he never seen him do that, Anna is the only person who can order her brother. She actually enjoys seeing his brother doing chores, it means he was not that self-centered like before, he was changing… for good.

"Faster you dog!" Anna again yelled at Horo-Horo who was weak cutting the grass. He can't cut a single grass in tiredness, but still he was moving wobbly for Anna might give her punishment.

"How could we finish trimming these, it was about two hectares! And she wants us to finish these in a flash!" Horo-Horo exclaimed to Ren quietly so Anna can't hear him. Ren just go on with his work.

"If I had a choice, I would never befriend Yoh." Ren finally uttered to him.

"What are you two talking about! Go on!" she encourage them with a shout and a tone of don't-dare-disobey-or-you'll-pay.

Yoh came towards to her, "Don't you think I can help them, Anna-chan." Yoh plead to her innocently. Obviously, he doesn't want his friends in pain, and most of all he doesn't want his friends experience what he had experience in Anna's side.

Anna glared at him and shook her head that means NO, "Kino-sensei told me that you should be resting and relaxing." She said to him coldly at turn her back to him and continues to watch the two boys in the grass. Anna always disagree in him, in trainings even he's on pain she didn't pity for him and stop the training. Maybe she was that stone-hearted but he knew that something is hidden inside her.

"Miss Anna, the list of the menu to be serve in the ceremony." Tamao appeared behind Yoh. She was handling a piece of rolled paper in her right hand and a box wrap with colored cloth in the other. She gave Anna the paper.

"Is this all?" Anna demanded to her, Tamao gave small HAI, she examines it carefully and told to the two to take a short break and she got inside the house. (Horo-Horo jumps in joy)

Tamao approached Yoh who was watching the two drinking water to the jug hungrily. She became red again with her blushing.

"I had brought something, Master Yoh." She said shyly and her face keeps on glowing in redness. She got everybody's attention.

"What was that Tamao?" Yoh asked her innocently.

Tamao opened the box and shining creamy boat tarts tumbled to him. So it was hidden, Horo-Horo spend the whole day looking for those. But why is she giving those to him? Maybe she had baked a lot of it and it was him to first taste it.

"WOW!" Horo-Horo's mouth fell open; at last Tamao's cooking, "I bet that was the one I had smelled a while ago!" Tamao gave him a nod. Ren gave him a narrowed eye.

"Can't you see it was for Yoh?" Ren tug him in the rib. Wincing, he receives the box full of sweet tarts.

"How nice of you Tamao, you knew that I really like your boat tarts." grinned Yoh. Tamao even show a shade of crimson in her face and quickly pulled Pirika and stormed the backyard to the house. Horo-Horo eats the tarts ravenously. Yeah, he really likes Tamao's cooking like he does but it doesn't matter, Manta gave him a smile.

Anna was reading her book in the room and Tamao and Pirika stormed inside. They saw Anna being busy.

"What are you doing Tamao-kun?" Pirika let out a tiny voice to her, Tamao just simply ignore her question and sat in the table were Anna was, she was still blushing deeply. Pirika stares at her for a moment. Anna looked at them for a moment. Maybe she was distracted to us, Tamao thought.

"Is there any problem Tamao?" Anna asked her with a calm tone not even looking to her.

"No, nothing." She replied still blushing, "I thought you are checking the list?"

"Oh… I'll check it later, I need to read this." She raises her book. "So… you had a conversation with Kino-sensei…"

"Er… Yes… I had she had told me that I am helping in the ceremony by giving him flowers that day."

"I see…Kino-sensei definitely like you helping in the ceremony."

Tamao held a small smile to her. She didn't answer back instead she put down her book and stared the table as if it was an interesting view. Few days from now Yoh will be proclaimed the new shaman king, few days from now she will be living with the king. And the new plan will take place. How she wishes the proclamation day will not come, she might loose herself. She feared that day that he will carry a great responsibility, he is hardly responsible, that responsible to carry the title shaman king.

"Ouch!" Horo-Horo screamed with pain, a spirit was pinching his cheeks to its edges and he can't fight off the spirit, "cut it off! It hurts!"

Everybody laughs and watching Horo-Horo's face stretched by the spirit. They didn't even tell the spirit to let Horo-Horo be.

"You are bad person!" the spirit shrieked coldly, "That sweets are for our master!"

"That was for us!" he yelled to the spirit still pinching his cheek and become teary-eyed.

"Tee Hee! That's for a greedy git like you!" Ren shouted to him, "Let his cheek stretch in a mile to teach him a lesson."

Yoh and the gang laugh out loud; he sure can easily make them laugh even Chocolove who always pulled jokes to them.

"Yoh-kun, did you remember when we first met Horo-Horo in Funbari?" Manta asked his friend and giggling.

"Yeah… I remembered that… he dreams to be…" he said with a laugh, "the shaman king, but we suggested him to become a comedian!" and the two again rolled a bundle of laughs. Ren and Chocolove stared to them; they didn't know what they are talking about.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" the birds flew to the woods of the temple.

'What was that!' Anna told her mind, she was startled with that, for a moment she had some what felt an odd spirit. No, it was not, how a spirit could just linger to the room without being visible to her eyes. If there was a spirit, she would have seen that, that's for sure. But that was odd. A spirit, if it was an ordinary spirit who was living and wandering in the temple, she would not be startled like that. She took a glance to Tamao who was still out of mind, dreaming, she thought, 'how could she doesn't felt it? She was like me, how…' she asked her mind again. This was mad! She thought. She scans the whole room, indeed she doesn't see anything odd, the spirit just pass by for a second, that's it! But what or who was it… her heart skip a beat and a cold sweat rolled in her forehead, is she dreaming or it was true?

She some what asked Tamao with her eyes and finally Tamao asked her what was the problem, she shook her head, she really didn't felt it. That was odd. "I am going to sleep, tell Ren and the others to stop working and continue it tomorrow. I am tired." She said hesitantly and rushed to her room.

"What's with her?" Pirika asked Tamao, she just shrugged dreamily in her seat.

"Anna went to sleep ne?" Ponchi asks his master as he popped in the thin air. "Doesn't mean you two should do some pranks!" she furiously says as she hops trying to reach the two animals. "You're going to have a hard time stopping us!" they grinned and stormed the room. "Why you!" she screamed as she follows them hurriedly.

'I'll tell Yoh, this evening." Anna mumbled to herself and lied to her futon and take a short nap.

Dinner became more disaster, as Horo-Horo and Ren tries to compete for a single meat, Pirika and Jun together with Lee and Tamao merrily chatting about Tao mansion in China. Chocolove was cracking his worst jokes to the gang. Yoh just ate happily as he chat with Amidamaru and Anna still remained silent of the rest of the dinner.

After dinner all of them decided to take a sleep after their before-to-sleep-rituals. The whole temple became quiet and still in the night. The sounds of crickets are the only ones been heard.

Even the spirits within the house had not made any noises. In Yoh's room the silence was deafening, he hadn't fallen asleep while the others had been drowsing. He just stared the ceiling of his room and sighs. _What was this feeling? I am feeling anxious… but why? I don't know what was it but I felt that something terrible will happen…was it the spirit I had sense this morning or just my imagination… wait! Why am I acting afraid… everything will be alright… that's for sure..._ as he gently closed his eyes. But before he had gone to dreamland a banging sounds had startled him. It was a hard noisy sound of knocking in the door. He got up to his feet and opened the scandalous door. He found Anna, looked anxious also.

"Could I enter?" Anna said with an expression of don't- dare- refuse. Yoh looked puzzled; Anna in front of his room in the middle of the night wants to go inside his room?

"Could I?" she repeated her question impatiently.

"Er… of course… come inside…" he said sweat dropping. "Is there anything wrong Anna?" he asked as he sat in his futon. Anna remained standing. "Oh! Here, take a sit..." he said giving his futon to her. A long silence had taken before Yoh decide to speak, "Anna why are you here?" he said it fearfully because Anna might slap her with his rudeness. But Anna didn't done anything, she just sighs and spoke.

"Yoh, I have something to tell you." She said icily.

"Ne? What was that?"

"Do you happen to sense an odd spirit today?" she said blankly. Yoh's heart skips a beat, he too had sense an odd spirit, is this just a coincidence or…

"Huh, Yoh?"

He doesn't know what to say to her if he will tell the truth or lie to her. If he tell the truth he will know what was that odd spirit, if not he will not certainly know. But what if that odd spirit was his worst nightmare…

"Er… why Anna? Had you sense one?" he answered nervously. Anna glared at him for a moment. "Ok. I haven't. Why?" he lied to her to know what had she'd sense.

"This morning, when you lot in the woods I was left alone reading a book. Then Tamao came over and joined me in the room. Then I had felt an odd spirit inside the room, it didn't appear to me but I had felt it." She told him calmly

"Did Tamao felt or sense it too." He asked in an interesting tone.

"Funny though, she didn't, I'm surprised she didn't sense it or felt it." She replied.

"Are you sure it was not the spirits who are living in the house for ages?"

"That's ridiculous Yoh! I've been in this house for years and I had known all spirits in here." She said sarcastically.

"Ok. Sorry. But I've remembered what obaasan had told me about the spirits in our house." He said now calmly. Anna raised an eyebrow. "She told me that once she had an encountered an odd spirit, a spirit who was not one who stays in our house for years, she thought that, that spirit was an evil spirit, a wicked spirit that want to ruin the Asakura Temple and its family. But then it was just a lonely spirit who had just temporarily stayed here to visit some of his friends when he was still alive." He said to her and looking at her. "It was not just happened once, several times, then I too had encountered one and told her, then she explained it to me." He finished telling an alternative answer in their question hoping Anna would be satisfied in his explanation.

"Is that what Kino-sensei had told you." She reacted shortly.

"Yeah. Is there anything else?

"That's all konbanwa!" she said as she fled his room.

_Anna was afraid of what had happened today that's why she was silent at all time today. Could be what obaasan had said was true or there was truly an evil spirit? _

…TBC…

A/N: Thank you for those who dared continue this fic I really salute you (because you guys had wasted your time in reading this no-good fic) well then as usual I want to know what you guys feel to my fic so reviews!

NEWS!

For those who were waiting for the fic to shift into a new genre well I had some news to share for you all! For those who really excited that this fic will go on to the romance part of the story…

For the chapter 8 I will post some kind of romance in the shamans but it was kinda mild… not the pure romance just a teaser and just for a few chapters away romance will surely bloom in this fic.

Guess now who's pet couple will end up together, surely all of you will really be in love to them!

vienne louis jean spellman…

ta-ta!


	8. Shamanic Madness

**Chapter 7: Shamanic Madness**

The very next day the whole temple was covered with deafening silence, the whole temple was back into it's natural 'stillness', even the gang were in the temple the whole household was like a ghost house, not just literally. The gang had eaten breakfast, Anna told everyone to rest from their chores that day to unwind a bit. And all of them were on their own; Most of them went to the woods to take some nature tripping.

Manta was inside the house and using his laptop, Tamao with Pirika and Jun with Lee had taken a short walk in the main temple. Chocolove who loves the two pesky animal spirits were in the patio of the house and planning to pull some pranks and merrily laughing. Horo-Horo was out of sight no one knows where he was and who was with him, he maybe with his spirit, Kororo. Anna who was alone was inside the house too but no one knows what she's up to.

Meanwhile in the heart of the woods, Ren and Yoh were taking a short walk with their spirits.

"This is the spot!" Yoh exclaimed with amusement.

"If sleeping is what you meant, you can sleep inside the house," Ren said to him with disgust on his friend being lazy. Yoh was always like that he much like to sleep all day than to do something important in his life, he watched carefully his friend put out a cloth and rolled in the grass.

"Come on. I can't sleep peacefully there."

"Anna won't disturb you; she didn't mention your training."

"Oh, yes, she didn't mention that after we arrive here in the temple, even she made a new schedule of my trainings." He replied with a wide grin in his face. "And I just want to have a different environment, that's all."

"Yoh-dono, this place is really peaceful." Amidamaru shriek in joy.

"Fresh air, green trees… This is a paradise." Bason replied, a spirit warrior of Ren agreed. Ren sat down beside his friend and muttered "you always do this when you were young?"

"Yes, if I had escaped from my training sessions." He said with a grin. Ren's eyes softened and close it to feel the morning breeze of air. Yoh just watched him as he appreciate the nature, the happiness of life. Ren had never felt such happiness in his heart when he was young and had brainwashed by his father, he had experience a bad childhood, and always the family depends on him for he was the heir of the Tao family.

Maybe they were some kind of similar in their childhood, he then experience being discriminate in the school for he was a shaman, he had hardly friends when he was elementary, he usually stay in the corner of the classroom talking to someone that none of his classmates can see. This year was very great to him, he had gain true, loyal and trusted friends and he will be proclaiming the new shaman king in no time. Ren had not gained friends in his childhood that's why he got along to him perfectly. His life was been planned by his parents and grandparents, like Ren. Except he was not engage with a woman like Anna.

Anna's name struck his mind like a lightning bolt, he then remembered what Anna had told him last night, and he too had experience an odd spirit but lied to her. He was confused that evening, they both felt it, but neither of the whole gang didn't, is there something that was going on that they were the only ones who had the power to sense it?

"You know when we are in the backyard yesterday I had experience a funny feeling." Ren broke his thoughts.

"You what?" he uttered in surprise. What was that Ren had experience or felt yesterday, is what he and Anna felt yesterday is what Ren had experience?

"I had sense an odd spirit. Have you?" He was dumbstruck, so it was not just them. He was right, Ren had sense it yesterday.

It took a moment for him to gain his cool again, "Funny though, I had felt it too." He confesses the truth to his friend.

"Do you think…?" Ren asked him but Yoh ignored his question and asked him instead

"How come you didn't tell me yesterday?" Yoh asked him as if Ren didn't ask him, "Anna had felt it too…"

"She what?" Ren's mouth fell open, he can't believe what he had heard, she, Anna had felt it too? He again thought that Anna was really powerful she can open a portal and sensing an odd spirit she can't do? That was really stupid. "She felt it too…" he continued.

"So…how did you know? You asked her?"

Yoh shook his head, "She asked me last night when everyone was asleep."

"What did you tell her?" he demanded a question.

"I told her that obaasan told me that it was just a lonely spirit who visits in the house." He answered.

"And she buys that answer?" Ren said ridiculously. "You told her that it was just a wandering ghost in the temple, who was lonely?"

Their spirits listens to their masters intently and in silence.

"Yeah, that's the only reason—n" before he could finish his sentence Ren interrupted him,

"Reason? You know that there's another!" he said hissing, "You know that he's not dead!"

"What do you suppose to mean he?" he asked his friend as if he doesn't know the answer to his question.

"You know who I am referring to."

"Is that mean Master Ren…" Bason joined them with the air of worry. Amidamaru shook his head slightly and said nothing.

"But if you felt it too, how come you didn't told me about it?" he again sprang his question a while ago.

"That's because…" Ren started without fear.

"That's because we are sensitive enough not to spoil the celebration for the new proclaimed shaman king." Horo-Horo had appeared to the bush behind them. Ren and Yoh both jumped to his presence.

"How long had you been there? Popping around as if you are a ghost." Ren accused him with narrowed eyes.

"Long enough to hear you two had felt a spirit yesterday." He said with proudness and also sat next to Ren, "That I happened to felt it too."

So everyone had felt it, Yoh concluded in his mind. It was not just him or Anna, everyone and everyone was gone to nuts to tell or open it to all.

"So, I think everyone had felt it, huh?" He spoke to Horo-Horo. Ren uttered words to himself that sounds as 'so you are spying on us'.

"Well, perhaps… half correct, half wrong…" he answered back his friend, "We, had felt it… three of us… but the others don't, like the girls…" and throw a dark look to Ren "Like Pirika, for example, she remained her carefree attitude, so it means only us… we three and Anna had felt it."

"How good you Horo-Horo to notice it." Amidamaru said dreamily.

"Yeah, and I never saw you in a serious situation." Yoh said and fighting the urge to laugh.

"That was not funny, Yoh-kun! I am trying my best here to portray a serious image to the lot of you and you thought I was not serious all along!" Horo-Horo said to him.

"Don't say you are serious even before we met you?" Yoh again let out a giggle.

"Of course I was serious even that day!" He yelled to him but not in an angry tone.

"Cut it out you two!" Ren break them.

"So… you reckon… that he's back?" Horo-Horo asked Ren.

"Most certainly, he is, there is no proof that he was dead." He replied to him as a matter of factly.

"And he can reincarnate by himself!" Horo-Horo added.

"But he can do that only by 500 years!" Amidamaru insisted to the two, the two shot a death glare to him that makes him to hide behind his master.

"He has a point." Yoh agreed to his spirit and got to his feet and tap his pants with dust.

"Goodness!" Ren shake his head with what he had just heard, Horo-Horo gave him a vague look.

"What do you think Yoh-dono?" his samurai spirit asked him.

"I think, obaasan was right, it was just a mere spirit who was wandering in the temple." He said shortly.

"A spirit? An ordinary spirit! Are you mad? You know that he was that yesterday!" Ren said ridiculously as if his friend got the point.

"Yeah, obaasan was always right." He retorted calmly.

"What if she was wrong this time? Everybody can commit mistakes!" Ren said now beginning to loose his nerves.

"What? So you will tell me **he** was alive?" still in his calm tone.

"What? Who do you think who was that?" Ren let out a shout, "DO YOU THINK THAT HE WAS NOT OUT THERE? LURKING AT US!"

"He maybe not."

"HE MAYBE NOT! WHAT IF HE WAS! IF HE WAS OUT THERE, WHAT SHOULD WE DO?"

"If he's really out there, we can't make a move, we will wait."

"WAIT FOR WHAT!" Ren shouted to him and completely lost his temper, while Horo-Horo's mouth fell open.

"JUST WHAT I'VE SAID, THERE'S NO PROOF ON HIM DEAD! HE'S OUT THERE!" Yoh watch Ren yelled at him.

"AND WON'T HESITATE TO KILL EVERYONE TO GET WHAT HE WANTS!" he added catching his breath.

"Will you two keep it down…?" Horo-Horo insists to settle down the argument.

"I know what he wants…" Yoh finally spoke in a low voice completely ignoring Horo-Horo.

"Me." He added.

"WELL AS IF HE CAN JUST TAKE YOU! HE'LL MAKE REVENGE!" Ren again roared, "YOU KNOW HIM! HE WAS THE DEVIL HIMSELF, HE'LL KILL EVERYONE WITH A BLINK OF AN EYE AND GET WHAT HE WANTS!"

"WE MUST SAY THIS MATTER TO ALL… NOTIFY THEM, HIS COMEBACK!" Horo-Horo became dumbstruck for Ren's yelling.

"No, we are not that sure… and think how they can react to the situation."

"GOOD! AT LEAST THEY CAN REACT BEFORE THEY WERE EXTINGUSHED WITH HIS FIRE!" he yelled with all his might. "AND THE ONLY SOLUTION TO THIS IS TO SAY THIS MATTER TO EVERYONE!"

"Say it to yourselves!" Yoh said to him, he often shouted his friends like that, not now. "I know him, like you said… if he's really out there, he will first appear to me. As long he doesn't, we wait."

"But Yoh… what if…" Horo-Horo said with worry.

"While we wait…" he said with gritted teeth, "I'll prepare myself for our last encounter."

"Yoh! This is completely dangerous! Are you mad enough to sacrifice the other's lives?" Horo-Horo hissed.

"I don't agree to your plan." Ren again joined them, "It is better to tell everyone and to prepare…"

"NO. It is against me and my brother. I know he is really strong enough for me…" he said gapping to Ren who was shaking with fury, "but patience will lead us to success…"

Everyone became quiet, if their worst enemy was not dead how could they celebrate? How could they fight him again? Is waiting the only solution to stop him or is there anything they can do aside from waiting? What if Ren was right, Anna can help, and Kino and Yohmei were the ones can help him about that matter. But what if it was just a bizarre madness, he was just afraid that he, was alive, Ren said there was no proof he was dead, that's because he was crushed by his furyouku, how can they see his corpse? Any bits of him were unseen or discovered.

"Your obaasan can handle this situation… even just her… tell her." Ren suggested and beginning to gain his cool again.

"Your obaasan surely knew who that was… if he was that…" Horo-Horo added to him

"She also knew what to do."

Yoh think for a moment, there were a bit right, his obaasan can handle that, and she can surely and guaranteed knew how to solve this riddle. But if she'd knew, she will definitely be disappointed about a new problem rises before his proclamation. Horo-Horo said they don't want to spoil the celebration, but if they tell her, the celebration will surely be spoiled and ruined.

"If we tell to obaasan… the celebration will be a big disaster, she was looking forward for this moment." He again spoke after a long silence. His spirit stared at him.

"FORGET THE CELEBRATION! HOW COULD WE CELEBRATE IF THERE WAS A BIG THREAT TO OUR LIVES!" Ren again shouted again, his spirit tried to untense his rage.

"IF YOUR OBAASAN WAS REALLY HAPPY, YOU BIENG A SHAMAN KING, HOW WILL SHE BE IF SHE KNEW THAT HIS GRANDSON WILL NOT MAKE IT TO HIS CEREMONY?"

"**HAO** WILL RUIN EVERYTHING! EVERYTHING! YOUR HAPPY MOMENTS, YOUR LIFE!"

Yoh's heart skip a beat hearing the word 'Hao' he hadn't heard that name for a month and after a whole month of no news and carefree life he finally heard that devilish name again thru his friend's own mouth. Maybe his other self was right; his other self believed to Ren that **he** was back in track and plotting something not nice. He feared him, and doesn't know why, not just taking his soul and body, he was ready for that months ago. He feared that he was plotting something worst, worst than death and soul wandering.

"Yoh, please listen to us, there is a good solution to this, which is to tell and prepare. We know how you feel, but please." Horo-Horo pleads to him like a sheep.

"I know Horo-Horo…" he finally spoke to him. Horo-Horo gave him a warm smile.

"But I decided to keep this matter as a secret." He continued.

Ren just shook his head and looked defeated; no wonder Yoh was really hard-headed. But what are the circumstances of what had he just done risking their own lives just to make everyone happy.

"Okay, you win, we'll wait…" Ren said gaining his natural cool again, "but one thing… after the celebration, he doesn't show up… he maybe dead… but if he showed up…"

"You must tell us first…" and he gave him a smirk.

Yoh nodded in agreement.

"Good."

Horo-Horo burst out laughing; Ren shot a glare to him.

"I can't help but to laugh, seeing you two having a go to each other."

"Hey! Wait a second! I still hadn't asked you why you are following us!" Ren hissed and Horo-Horo just laughs heartily.

So all of them decided to keep that a secret, even Anna, Kino, Yohmei, and Mikihisa was not notified in there big hunch. But still their hearts were full of fear that the evil shaman might be back and cause another disaster and worst destruction of the world.

After three straight days without odd situation going on the Asakura temple were startled with Tamao's prediction. "Three ugly blokes will do everything to make…oohhh!" Chocolove said imitating a fortune teller, "Their way to the Asakura temple…"

"Yes! I got it! Hold on!" Horo-Horo also imitates more correctly than Chocolove said, "And this blokes will enchantly bring home some… oohh…"

"Dung gifts!" Tamao blushed with embarrassment. Horo-Horo received a lump to sister for it.

"I think Tamao's prediction was true." Manta defends her, "When we when here she had predicted that we will came."

"I think you are right." Ren agreed.

"We are only joking… sorry Tamao." The Ainu apologized to her and took a quick glance to Ren.

"Well, if there's anyone coming, they would not be welcomed if they were not invited." Anna said shortly. Next to her was Yoh who looked pale and anxious in something.

…TBC…

A/N: Well, it was kinda short chapter but it was full of information isn't it?

Who are the people coming to the Asakura temple? Will it be Yoh's worst nightmare, or it was the other way around, just tune in to this fic and you'll know the answer.

And oh! Next chapter I will be revealing a teaser! I hope you guys were darn thrilled what I had said last chapter. Well… next chapter will kinda long than this one… and

Not just long, it was informative too…

Shaman community will experience another season of celebration for the coronation of the king, just a few chapters away!

ANOTHER!

Feel free to express your feelings! You like my fic or hate it just sign your reviews and I will surely take it without grumble! Unlike the other fics this fic don't follow the reader's or reviewer's plot, couple…etc. but if you review I will surely continue to write.

URGENT!

For next few months I will have a short break into writing… to gather more reviews if you guys want me to continue… I know this sucks but okay… I will soon upload the chapter 8: The Unexpected Visitor in June or July because I had something to do in the next few months , but don't worry I am just kidding, I will continue my writing, this is my past time!(so why stop?) it will just take time to update again.

To all my readers…

SARANG HEYO!

JE T'AIME!

WO AI NI!

TE AMO!

AISHITERU!

I LOVE YOU!

Vienne louis jean Spellman


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 8: The Unexpected Visitor**

The next day Tamao's prediction was stronger that she rushed to Kino with her power spirits tumbling by following her. All of them didn't much paid attention on her predictions except for Yoh, Ren and Horo-Horo. They had been worried since when Tamao had her predictions but didn't show to others what the are worrying about.

Lunch was serve and they were about to eat while Ponchi and Konchi emerged to the door. They zoomed around the room that makes everyone mad. "Hey! That's not cool!" Horo-Horo barked at them as Konchi threw a rock to his face.

"Food fights!" Chocolove yelled with excitement. Ren put out his spear and threatened Chocolove not to speak again. Yoh on the other hand still grinning nervously and don't do anything about the big commotion going on. "Yoh-dono." His samurai cried to him.

"Annoying…" Anna muttered to herself who was beginning to loose her temper to the pesky animals. Tamao flushed a shade of crimson with her embarrassment to her two spirits and remained quiet. Pirika who had been dumped with rice balls were about to loose her temper too. Ren, next to her offered a tissue to wipe her face. Horo-Horo noticed it and dive to the two but was tripped by Ren's spear.

"That's it!" Anna uttered and stands next to Yoh who was just grinning. She shot her hand to the air and caught Ponchi in her bare hands.

"Nice catch!" Chocolove exclaimed.

"Stop it. Or I'll give Ponchi a punishment." She muttered to Konchi who was free to Anna. Everyone fell silent.

"Wahhh! I don't want!" Ponchi wailed to her hands. Anna glared at Konchi and grabbed her beads and wrapped it to the both of them.

"You two had enough!" and she threw the animals in the door. The door destroyed and produced a clashing sound.

"Huh?" an unusual voice echoed in the destroyed door.

"Jun?" Tamao cried still reddening with shyness.

"What was happening here?" Manta popped behind Jun looking startled with the mess they've done.

"Were sorry!" the animals chorused.

"At least they are." Horo-Horo exclaimed.

"Were you two up to?" Ren asked the two, "We are waiting for years here. Were darn starving here!" he added with gritted teeth.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Jun retorted, "We just met and welcome the newly arrived guest." Manta finished her sentence.

Three people came walking in the hallway to the room they occupied. All of them poke out their heads through the opened door. One who wears a pompadour hairstyle and looks stylish with his clothes, he's even looks a rock star. The other one with green hair wearing black trousers, white sweater on top. And the last one with blonde hair, all white clothes dragging a life-sized doll. The three of them march towards them and stopped in the rotten door. Everybody watched them as they strode towards them in the room without blinking.

"Nice entrance." Horo-Horo said with a grin.

"Ryu, Lyserg, Faust! You made here in our place!" Yoh exclaimed with delight.

Ryu burst into tears and hug Yoh tight that his ribs could break in half any moment.

"Are we late for the celebration?" Lyserg asked.

"No. the celebration is not yet started." Ren replied to him with a smirk.

"Hey! How did you find our place?" Yoh asked Lyserg escaping in Ryu's arms.

"Morphine help me to find your place." He explained and a fairy-like spirit flew out of his palm. Pirika giggled to see the beautiful spirit he had.

"Good thing." Chocolove said. "At least he doesn't try to sound funny." Ren muttered.

"Sorry I am late; I had to fly abroad to my operations." Faust explained with his wife, Eliza next to her.

"I understand. What is important is you came just in time." He let out a grin in his mouth.

"So, you lot ate lunch?" Lyserg asked all of them inside.

They all looked back to the room, it was a big mess.

"Err…" everybody chorused.

After making another lunch (that took another hour to cook) they finally ate. Lyserg had come to Europe and had brought something for everybody. ("Tamao's predictions were true!" Horo-Horo shrieked with joy.) Tamao received a European cook book, Ren received a steel polisher, and Ryu who was really happy received a styling gel while Manta received an extraordinary big book about Europe. Faust got a new pair of dragon hide; Horo-Horo received a special tea and Pirika got a stopwatch while Jun got a new prayer papers from Europe. Anna got a beaded bracelet with cat's eye gems and Yoh received a miniature musketeer's sword in a glass.

All of them were grateful to Lyserg and the happiness between Yoh, Ren and Horo-Horo came back for they won't be worrying. They spend the hours chatting at each other.

Night came Kino called all the gang for some words. In the large vast room, full of prayer accessories, statues and lighted candles, it seems to be an altar room; a room for prayers and rituals. In the middle of the room they formed a circle. Tea was served in the tatami mat. ("This is dinner?" Horo-Horo whispered to Chocolove who was dreamily listening to him.)

"Ahem-Ahem…" Kino coughed, "welcome all of you…" she started, "especially to those who had just arrived. Lyserg blushed into shyness. "We, the whole family of Asakura were grateful having lot of you." Yohmei nodded with agreement. "And grateful to have Yoh, our grandson, the proclaimed shaman king." She said as all of them listen intently.

"Tomorrow our dreams will finally come to reality, our plans will take the place after the celebration, the ritual will take place tomorrow." She paused and took a breath while Anna bowed down her head and no one can see her face. "Ahem… the ritual will only take an hour and definitely I would like his friends in his side to support him. Shamans from all over the world will participate also, of course the guardians as well they will host the coronation."

"Is there something you would like to add?" she asked Ren. All eyes turned to him, he felt shy but spoke too,

"Yoh, we decided to throw a party to you few days after the celebration." He said it so fast that they nearly can't understand. Yoh shot him a vague look, "Could you repeat it again?"

"He said we are throwing a party for you few days after the celebration." Manta repeated to him.

"Suree! That was fun!" he said with glee and grinned.

"I would like Tamao to help us in the rituals…" Yohmei finally spoke next to Kino. "She will also give flowers to the king aside from Anna."

"All of you would just watch him in the procession." Kino again spoke.

"There's a procession?" Yoh asked her with interest.

"Yes, You, Anna and Tamao with us are in the procession." She retorted to his grandson.

"Okay." Yoh said, "What should I do after the rituals?"

"Good question." His father spoke bringing down his cup of tea. "You will just stay and relax and wait for their party."

"And you will be sent in another place."

"Another place?" Yoh looked puzzled.

"It's good to have some surprise ne?" Kino replied to his question.

"Yes, you're the shaman king; you just stay put and leave the working to us." Manta said dabbing his chest. Yoh grinned and blushed with shyness.

"So, all of you…" Kino interrupted them, "must wake in…" she took a quick glance in the old clock, "exactly seven o' clock in the morning…" Before Horo-Horo could complain Kino said, "NO EXCEMPTIONS!"

"Darn it!" Horo-Horo muttered in a low voice.

"So, do I make myself clear?" Kino asked all of them.

"Are we going to eat dinner?" Horo-Horo spat. Kino raises her eyebrow with his question.

"What are you feeling now, Yoh-kun?" Manta sprang a question to him in the bathroom were they're taking a bath.

"Hmm…" he responds, "what do you mean? The water?" he continued, "It was fine. It was pretty warm." He said stupidly.

"No, not the water!" he said to his friend. "The ceremony tomorrow!" he then muttered to him while Yoh still watched him, "what do you feel, the ceremony tomorrow?"

"What should I suppose to feel ne?"

"I don't know…" he then answered to his friend, "Nervous… Happy…"

"Well, kinda nervous… that was normal ne?"

"'course it was, what are you nervous with?"

"Dunno. Maybe the guest, obaasan told us, the guardians?" Yoh mumbled and slide in his tub of warm water.

"That will… it was pretty heart-pumping when in you are the center of their eyes." Manta said with a smile, "But are you ready for this?"

"Err… sort of, no more backing out in the guardians."

"Good luck, Yoh-kun, I know you can do it tomorrow…" he finally said with encouragement.

'Yeah, tomorrow… tomorrow will be the day I will never forget…' he told to his mind. Manta was his best friend since they met in Funbari; he really knows how to give him comfort and encouragement.

It was in the middle of the night, still he can't fall to sleep, perhaps he was nervous and at the same time, excited in the ceremony tomorrow. He went outside his room and sat in the porch of the house where the stars keeps on shining down to him. His samurai spirit, Amidamaru keeps on snoring inside his room. He was supposed to be asleep, he supposed to be awoke in the seven in the morning and no exemptions especially him, he was the cause of the ceremony tomorrow, but still he watched the stars in the black blanket of clouds and sky. It was peaceful, only the evening insects are heard in the environment, and the evening breeze blew to his face, so soothing.

How he wish that everyday would be like this, so peaceful, no worries and always happy. He closed his eyes and dreaming that tomorrow will be a memorable day not just for him but also the whole shaman community.

A sound of steps echoed to his ears, it was coming nearer and he saw Anna beside him.

"Anna-chan, what are you doing here?" he asked her with astonishment, "Why are you not asleep?"

"And why are you not asleep?" she then asked him with an icy tone, completely ignoring his question.

"Err… can't sleep." He just answered with a grin.

"That was new, you? Can't sleep." She then laughs.

"What are doing here anyway?"

"I want to say something to you." She said with her normal tone.

What was she wants him to hear, she maybe wants him to wish him 'goodluck' for tomorrow.

"Err… what was that?" he asked her innocently to her. She let out a scowl in his reaction.

"I just remembered what I had told you last time, the spirit I had told you I had sense." She started. Yoh's heart pumps fast with what she had said.

"What about that?" he then replied to her and hiding his sudden adrenaline-pump.

"It is that… I was gone silly that time…" she again spoke, "you were right; it was just a lonely spirit."

"And I had seen it just the other day."

"You did?" he blurted out with astonishment and he can't believe what he had heard. She nodded. His heart become light, as if a big block of cement was on top of his heart and suddenly it was been crushed into small pieces.

"Took you so long ne?" he spat with a laugh. And she suddenly became serious; he notices it and fell silent.

It took for a few minutes before she can speak to him. "Err… Yoh… there's something I want to tell you…" she said unconfidently.

"What was that?"

"It was I want you to make a promise…"

"A… promise…?" he blurted out with outrage. Does she wants him to be dead after the ritual, he was pretty sure it was her 'hell trainings' again. "What kind of promise?" and he crossed his fingers that his hunch would not be true.

"Just promise!" she demanded. Now she was forcing him to make a promise to his death.

"I… what promise… you are not intending me to go into the cliff aren't you?" he said with suspicious eyes.

"Okay!" she said with a tone she was about to loose her temper, "In the party we will throw to you… I will give you a gift." She said again, "And promise me not to refuse it, ne?"

"A gift, no, not really… you should not to." He refused, "I was the one should give a present to you… for your hard work."

"No, I insist, promise me." She demanded.

"But…but…"

"Promise me…"

"Okay… I promise…" he then finally agreed to her and looked defeated, he should not be receiving a present to her, it was her determination, her will and power that he was the newly proclaimed king, he should be thankful to her instead.

"Better." She said with an icy tone.

"Err… what was you're present for me?" he sprang this to her, she looked startled, she maybe not ready that he might asked it, but she regain her cool again.

"It was a secret… you don't need to know what was that." She said.

"Wha—t! Can you give me a hint?"

"A-ha! You are persistent; I won't tell you, think whatever you want."

"You are not giving me extra trainings for a present do you?" he said fearfully.

"Nope, I won't…" she said, Yoh became happy for hearing that, "In fact I won't be giving you trainings after the tomorrow." She pulled a paper in her pocket of her yukata and tore it into small pieces.

"What was that?" he asked him.

"Your training schedule…"

"And you will not give me chores?" he said with hopes.

"Dream, Asakura Yoh, I am not that generous to let you sleep the whole day!" she snapped to him. "Well, it is just what I want to say to you, good night, and goodluck!" she said and slowly standing to her feet.

"Wait, would you care just stay for a while?" Yoh stopped her.

"It was late… go to sleep… you should be awake early… Konbanwa!" she left him alone.

She was right, he should be sleeping now, the guardians would be mad if he doesn't wake up on time not to mention his obaasan, she was strict in that kind of thing. He yawns and prepares to go to his room but in an abrupt a strong cold wind blew to his hair, to his head and spine, it was cold as ice… he then spun around to see if there was the annoying Horo-Horo playing his furyoku but he found nothing in the earthy ground.

It was a few moments that he stands there and still sensing if there was anything in the environment.

"Greetings, my dear otouto!" A guy appeared in the ground; his face was like his, as if he was looking to a mirror. He stepped his feet in the ground. He wore a cloak and a funny pants, he also wear a big dangling earrings with shades of red and white with a big star in the center. He was smiling to Yoh, smiling menacingly like mad.

"How was you?" the guy again asked him in an icy tone. "Are you not going to greet and welcome your big brother?"

He was stunned, seeing his worst nightmare in front of him, in person, he still alive… they were right, he was alive, and he can't even say a single word in his fear. His heart seems to stop beating with his fear to that guy.

"Very well, I had news to you!" he then spoke, "My trusted, loyal disciples had revived me after the tournament." And in a split second three girls tumbled to his eyes, the Hanagumi, they are the ones who revived him. He can't believe what was he seeing, the girls in front of him, was the cause of another fight. "I was then crushed into bits, but my loyal girls put me again and bring me back to life, actually I was not one hundred percent me again… it will be a year to gain my own strength again, my dear otouto. And a year after, my dreams will come true."

"Grr! HAO!" Yoh finally yelled with all his might, in this his fear might be lessen up.

"Much better!" Hao replied to him with a mocking voice. "I thought you had forgotten to speak or you just lost your manners."

"What are you doing here!"

"Why? Is visiting bad?" he mocks him. Yoh was shaking with anger now.

"You are not invited here!" he yelled back to his twin.

"I was living here… ages ago." He then said coldly. "Before you were alive… before you done your stupid victory." It touched a nerve.

"I maybe the new king, because I am worthy… than you." Yoh told him firmly.

"Ha! Worthy? Give me a break, and what are going to do? Sleep at them." Hao said to him. He maybe lazy but he was not out of mind to destroy the world like him.

"And what do you mean… you are much worthy than me… go to hell!" he said to him.

"I don't need to go there, I am there already." He replied to his brother shaking with fury. "You know otouto; I never thought you would be the one who could stop me for a while."

"For a while?" he said sarcastically to him. "You were… alive…"

"Yes, I am alive… not just a mere spirit, I was alive even before you thought I was not." Hao then gave him a mocking tone again, "it's just I need time to appear to you… are you afraid, my little brother?" he asked him with a laugh. Yoh didn't answer to him and fell silent.

"You have a good reason to." He again said to Yoh, "Now go! To your brainless mates and report to them I was alive!" and let out a laugh, he was laughing like a maniac.

"How did you…?" he blurted out with surprise.

"I was following you… in Funbari… to Izumo thru a portal…" he explained, "I was gone excited that day you had felt me."

"You are… the spirit!" he said with surprise again.

"Took you so long ne?" Hao imitates what he had said to Anna a while ago. It was him all along! He was it! That's why he was really worried that day… his hunch was true…

"I was enjoying your short debate the other day… debating that I was alive or not!" he laughs again now joined by the Hanagumi. "And you were stupid enough not to believe in your so-called friends."

It touched his nerves, so-called friends, what is he trying to say? "What do you mean so-called friends?"

"That, friends are just mere rubbish. You don't need them brother; I want to advise to you that to tend them in your advantage."

"Rubbish! You are just envy that you don't have friends, what do you have… them?" he stretches his arms and points the girls. The three girls scowled at him.

"Envy… me? Maybe so but if I had those mate you have I'll won't be here again." He spat to him, "my mates are much loyal, trusted and powerful than you have."

"Think what you want to think, go away! I will be sleeping!" he shooed him with disgust.

"Why? Not to be sleeping in your ceremony for tomorrow?" he asked Yoh mockingly, "Soothe yourself my dear otouto, I will give the title king to you just for a while…"

"But after I finally got my full strength I will get what I want and get what's for me." He continued.

"Before you could do that… I will--" Yoh said with gritted teeth.

"Kill me? Fat chance… even you train yourself to death you can't kill me." Hao said mockingly to him. "I'll get what you have… remember that…" he said

"What do you want first…Ah… your mates… then your title…" he continued with an icy tone.

"GRR…HAO!" he yelled to all his might.

"Why? You don't want? Ok, how about your title first and your friends…" he again spoke with a mocking tone, "And I'll take last your body… hahahaha!" he laughed maniacally together with the Hanagumi girls. Yoh was shaking with anger with Hao had said, he would first get his friends before he gets his body, he wants to see how he will kill his beloved friends, he knows that he will be in so much pain seeing them dying.

"Otouto, we'll meet after a year… a year…" he then spoke and disappeared into the thick flames of hell with his disciples.

"Hao…" he finally muttered under his breath.

TBC…

A/N: Hey! Here I am again…. Hehehe sorry for the long wait especially for those who cant wait and had given many reviews in my fic.

I was really surprise when I had opened my account and found that many readers had appreciate my work and got really excited in my next chapter, well it was worth it isn't it?

Of course I wont stop to write this fic( I am just starting it!) I had just some kind of a author's block in my future chapters and I am working on my next fic(see you soon!)

So how was it? Please read and review and I'll continue to update really soon!

Au revoir! Vienne louis jean spellman


	10. surprises comes in big packages

**Chapter 9: Surprises Comes In Big Packages**

"He'll never take what I've got!" Yoh thought while he was in his room laying in his soft futon, First his body.

Hao really wants to get his body and use it to build a new world for shamans. He had caused many damages in the world when he reincarnated and tried to get the Great Spirits in his own hands, he had killed many people, not just shamans but ordinary people, he was evil, no worst than him can do that. His worst fear had come back, he was still alive after the tournament, yes, and he may have feared him, only when he just appeared. He would take what he got, he may think it was for him, that he was his twin brother and everything he has was supposed to be his… including his life and soul. But it was not he had feared of, it was he would also take his friends to him, he treasured his moments with them; maybe he knew it was his weakness.

"Master Yoh? Are you awake?" Tamao knocks at the door. He looked at the clock, it was seven in the morning, he hadn't slept, he was awake the whole night, yet he didn't felt sleepy or tired.

"Err… Yeah… Tamao." He answered back to her.

"May I give you what you should wear for today Master Yoh?" Tamao then asked him.

He opened the door of his room and found Tamao blushing. "This is your clothes, Master Yoh." She said handling him a blue kimono.

"Oh! I need costume?" he asked her grinning, she nodded. "Thank you Tamao, Ohayo!"

"Hai! My pleasure, Master Yoh, Good Morning too." Still blushing and she left Yoh alone to change his clothes. He shut the door and pulled on his kimono (Amidamaru was really pleased about Yoh looks when wearing a kimono) and got out of the house.

Before heading outside the house he had heard Anna yelling on the top of her voice at Horo-Horo who had not yet woken up and he heard some banging sounds after. He doesn't know what to do so he thought to go outside and take some fresh air. He gently opened the door of the house to go outside but instead of light mild rays of light tumbled; a sea of bright lights came flashing to him. He found Goldova, the old chieftainess of the guardians of the shaman fight, she held a small smile to him and he answered back a smile too.

"Come, the Great spirits had just temporarily moved here in Japan." She said in her old voice.

"WOW!" His mouth fell, it was true, and the Great spirits was just outside their house. Big flashy lights like a waterfalls of endless lights was in their backyard. He couldn't believe it even he saw it in his own eyes! 'How wonderful!' he murmured with amazement to his mind.

All the guardians were there too. They were all here for the ceremony; he never thought that the ceremony will take them here in their country. Silva come near to him and patted his back, "Were here to do the rituals." He said shortly.

"How come the Great spirits had been here?" he asked him with wonder still watching the sea of lights.

"It's good that you don't have to go to America and do the rituals there, ne Yoh?" he replied with a smile. "The Great spirits's lights represent the hope of the world… to be given to you…"

"But, everyone will notice the Great spirits, you know, it's big and bright." He replied to him with questioning eyes.

"Only shamans can see them." He answered shortly as Yoh still watching the Great spirits with amazement.

"That was wonderful! The Great spirits were really wonderful." He said after a few seconds. The Great Spirits illuminates the whole temple with its endless bright lights.

"Congratulations, Yoh, you had been our new shaman king." Goldova said and offering her hand to him. He took her old hand and shakes to her a sign of thank you. "You had been our hero, you've stopped Hao taking the Great Spirits in his hands, we are grateful for risking your life to us." Yoh's heart skip a beat hearing the word 'hao' makes his heart explode with fear. She then turns to Amidamaru who was beside him and admiring the eye-flashing lights. "This was your spirit isn't it?" she again asked him, he gave her a small nod and a force smile, he cant utter a single word in his sudden fear that he might say something that should not reveal.

"Ahhh… Amidamaru… a brave samurai." She complimented Amidamaru who glance to them. Yes, his spirit was indeed a brave warrior who was always by his side but even Amidamaru's braveness and strength didn't stopped _him_.

"Yes I am, it was Yoh-dono who had been brave enough to face Hao." Amidamaru said with delight, he was proud for having a master like him, but he doesn't know that it was the other way around. Still Yoh was grinning like stupid to them praying that she might not asked him anymore about his brother.

"You had shown us all the power of a pure heart." Silva added "sacrificing your life for the world, we really owe you a lot."

"I was not the only one who gave my life to that battle, all the shamans in our side helped, including you." He finally said to the both but he doesn't sound like himself. "I was the one just faced him for he was my twin brother. Without that lot help he could not be defeated." He cannot say 'dead' for he had just talked to him personally just last night.

"Well, yeah you did have lot help but it was you who defeated and killed him." She added and smiled to him. That makes him more uncomfortable.

"Yoh-dono was really humble enough not to take all the credits." His spirits said.

"It was not humility…" he said to Amidamaru. "I was just telling the truth."

"Yoh-dono, I know you are strong enough to defeat him." Amidamaru muttered. Yoh spun around to him and muttered in a very low voice that they can only hear "You don't know what you're saying!" Amidamaru looked puzzled what his master had told him.

"You see we've just teleported here an hour before you set your foot infront of the Great Spirits." Silva told him while they were arguing at his back, he stretch his arms to point the Great Spirit. Yoh turned to Silva with amazement. 'Teleportation… that was cool… I remember when Anna opened the portal to Izumo…' he told his mind and completely forgot about his worries a while ago.

"You mastered the technique of teleporting to other places?" he asked Silva with astonishment.

"Well, yeah…. Kinda…" he answered with shyness.

"That was brilliant!" Amidamaru exclaimed with excitement.

"We, guardians had been learning that technique since we were young." Another guardian joined to them and Goldova left their conversation to talk to the other guardians. "We usually teleport into such near places only."

"Remember when the Chaos star passed the earth, I had been showing to you since then…" Silva added.

"Like you are popping around like ghost." Yoh said.

"That was teleporting, but that was just a simple teleport… remember I was here in Japan to look out for the shaman fight."

"So it was a bit different now…" Yoh concluded.

"Hai! Now is more complicated, if we haven't mastered the technique we are not here, besides there are many negative effects in teleporting the wrong way or method." Silva continued to explain to him who was listening intently.

'Negative effect? What was that?' he told his mind, 'opening a portal has negative effect too…' "What are the negative effects?"

"Can teleport in the wrong place… to other dimension…. And worst…" he said to him.

"Can drain your soul?" Yoh said to him fearfully.

"Huh! Drain your soul! That was rubbish! The worst effect teleporting can have is you will left behind your other half of your body, like your torso, and your upper body is in the other place! There are many incidents of that!" he corrected Yoh.

"Huh? Can left behind? That was odd!" he blurted out and scowled. "Did it happen to you?" he asked him playfully with eyes don't-deny-it!

Silva was uneasy and can't lie to him, "Well yes… but few times… but I told you everyone who learned the technique will go thru that mistake!" he defend himself to Yoh.

"What had you left behind?" Amidamaru suddenly saw some excitement in their conversation.

"That was something personal!" he replied with redness in his face. "No need to ask that!" and he spun around to them. The two laugh in his back.

"So much for that, the most important is we mastered the technique." He again spoke, "And got here in Japan."

"I wish I could do that." Yoh said who was teary-eyed and got back his cool.

"'Course you can do that, you are powerful!" He added, Yoh grinned.

"Err… you said earlier you practice teleporting here from America, why just lot of you stay and wait for the ritual?"

"Oh! You know, we have some jobs there and errands to make." Silva said and bushed again.

"What jobs? I don't remember you lot have jobs…" Yoh pauses and think for a while, "The patch village!" he yelled.

"Don't tell me you lot are still waiters and salesman in the village!"

"Err… not only in patch." He bushed again but now flushed a deeper shade of crimson in his face and his ears like flaming in shyness. He held out a roll of native accessories hanged on it.

"Oh! Obviously!" said Yoh who was fighting his urge to laugh.

"Would you care to buy just one to me?" Silva asked him. Yoh didn't know what to say to him he hadn't any single yen in his pocket. A few second later Goldova clapped her hands and took everyone's attention.

"Attention guardians! The procession will begin just a few minutes, please go to your designated place!" she shouted to instruct the guardians.

"See you later!" Silva wave goodbye to him.

"Go on!" she shouted again. He was still standing in his spot and don't know what he will do; everyone is busy in arranging the line. But he was happy tough he had escaped Silva's accessories.

"Yoh…" Goldova came to him again; would she instruct him what will he do in the procession? "Can I have a word?"

"Err… yes… why not?" said Yoh was looked innocent.

"Not here, I want to speak to you in private and not in this noise… over there…" she point out the woods. She wants some private conversation to him? About the ceremony?

"Alright then…" he agreed. "Can I have Amidamaru?"

"Yes you, may." And she led the way to the silent forest of their yard.

A few minutes later they arrived in the heart of the woods, the Great Spirits are very near not like a while ago it was far to them it was infront of them.

"Yoh…" she began… "The Great spirits had told me to give something important to you…"

"What was that?"

"Something important… that you should take it with responsibility and care."

Yoh was puzzled what was that important thing that he should take good care of it and with responsibility? The title shaman king?

She came nearer to the Great Spirit and gently touched it, her hand got thru the beaming light, and then she let it out and found something in her hand. She opened her palm and saw something shiny.

"Come…" she invite him.

"The Great Spirits had chosen you to take this, as a sign of responsibility." She held Yoh a golden oracle bell in his hand."

"An oracle bell?" he asked with astonishment, why would the Great Spirits give him an oracle bell while he had one? "But I had one? Remember?"

"No, that was different…this was the'_d oro oraculum_ a golden oracle bell…"

"A golden oracle bell? What is the difference in my orange oracle bell?" He asked her and examines the bell carefully.

"Lot of differences, that oracle bell is a mode of communication to us, guardians… you can send important messages to the shaman community by that… just simply speak in the screen of the bell and it will automatically notify us, and we will also notify the others by their own oracle bell."

"What are the differences by that? It serves as a communicator like my old one?" he asked again to her.

"You cannot send us news by you old bell, it was just a notice for the schedule of the fight, remember?" she corrected him. Yoh let out a blush and a small 'yeah, I remember!' "Aside from that it does some other things that we don't know either… only the Great Spirits."

"Other things?" Amidamaru joined them.

"Yes, other things, that's why the Great Spirits wants to give it to you, please take it with care, I trust you… the new shaman king…"

Yoh gulped, what other things are the golden oracle bell do aside sending message to the guardians.

"And the Great Spirits can talk to you by that…" she said with her old voice, "that's all… there are no other things I will say to you… just in the ceremony…" she finally said and they all got back to the backyard where the guardians are completely ready for the procession.

He was again out of this world he doesn't know where he should be, in the front or at the back of the line. And then a strong hit of a large fan blow to him, it was his grandmother.

"What are you doing here!" she asked him with anger.

"Preparing for the ritual…" he snapped.

"You are not supposed to be here…" she let out a shriek.

"But you gave me the kimono!" he answered back at her.

"I gave you the kimono, but it doesn't mean you are allowed to go out!"

"But you didn't tell so!"

"It was understood! Now you ruined our surprise!" she let out a scream again.

"That's enough! It was all through." Mikihisa break their argument. Kino hit him with her fan.

"Yoh, listen, you need to relax… don't be nervous, even there are hundreds of shamans out there." Yohmei said to him. 'There are many shamans there?' he suddenly felt nervous, he was not used to it giving praise in hundreds of people. How could he be relax and be himself?

"Just smile!" his father added and gave him a big wide smile.

"This is not a press conference and a beauty contest! Just be yourself, grandson." She advised him. Amidamaru gave him a beaming look.

"THE PROCESSION WILL BEGIN!" Goldova yelled.

…To Be Continued….

A/N: another cliffhanger! Can Yoh be the new shaman king or hao has some plans under his sleeves? Find out on the next chapter….


	11. the Ceremony

**Chapter 10: The Ceremony**

"To your positions!" Goldova instructed them, "Yoh, you will be at the back of your grandparents." Yoh stood next to his grandmother. He started to feel something funny in his stomach and his throat had gone dry; he felt he was going to be sick. "Amidamaru, stay beside him." She again told his spirit who was looked uneasy like him too.

"Don't be nervous, Yoh." His father approached him and patted his back, it gave him some comfort, and he sighs. "Remember Yoh, everything will be fine, everything will go on place."

'Yes, everything will be fine' he said to his mind.

"Trust yourself, Yoh." His father gave him a wink once more.

'It is just walking into an aisle' he again murmured to his self. 'And that's it!'

"Everybody ready?" Goldova shouted with her old voice echoed to the backyard. He couldn't speak; even his father told him to be calm, he cant, there are many people out there to watch him, hundreds or even thousands of shamans are watching over him. What if he slips in the aisle and fall, would they laugh? It was not easy to face those people, yes it was his biggest dream to be the shaman king but he never thought that there would be a ceremony; he thought the guardians will just give him the title and no more ceremony or ritual and social gatherings.

"Yoh-dono, are you alright?" Amidamaru asked him who looked worried, "You looked pale, are you nervous?"

"Oh! Some kind of that, but I am okay." Blurted Yoh who was grinning nervously. 'This is it! Just stay calm and everything will be okay.'

"Come on! Start the procession!" Goldova told the guardians at the front of the line, "March!" Soon the guardians drag their feet and started to march in the backyard to the main temple, several stomps of feet was heard, Yoh's heart beats more faster than before, he hardly walk for his legs were wobbling and shaking. "Come Yoh-dono, don't be frightened." comforted Amidamaru.

Just for a few minutes he can see the tiny temple gates, the steps wore a red carpet; a small altar was found in the topmost steps with white cloth. There was an aisle separated by chairs and was crimson for the carpet has completely blocked the earthy ground. Several people, shamans for exactly planted in their seats. He notices that they wore some kind of a kimono like he was wearing but different color. As they draw nearer to the altar he found his friends, Manta was waiving to him, all of them were cheered him with glee. They all wore white kimono with blue lining. It seems that not everyone had found seats; some are standing and watching him as he walk in the aisle, shamans they met in the tournament. He felt all eyes were on him; he felt his face was burning; all of the attention was in him. They had arrived in the steps, Anna and Tamao were there, and they both wear a white kimono with pink lining and white flower ornament in their hair. They also had flowers in their hand. The two girls put the flowers in Yoh's neck like a necklace and gently bowed to him. "You may take your seat master Yoh." Tamao offered him a seat in the topmost steps next to the altar and blushing. He sat there still shaking.

"The moment had arrived!" Goldova said in the center altar; it caught everyone's attention. The whole place was gone silent. "Everyone! I need your attention… and your hearts." The sunny sky made the morning pleasant. "It is the time we proclaim our new king!" A long silence filled the entire place. "After our darkest days the sun shined and gave us light… after the rainy days the sun peeps in the clouds and a rainbow was form… after our sacrifices… our hardships… a new hope was born… after our fight we came to our victory." Goldova pauses and watch the crowd who were listening and absorbing all the things she had uttered. Yoh still in his seat not talking to his spirit next to him neither to the two girls.

"Yes! We cherished our triumph! We succeeded! Our hardships had never been a waste, now that we can live freely… happy… silent…calm…quiet… and full of love."

"No more threat… danger… peril... anxiety… fear… but still there was the everyday's burden, hindrances, anger and sadness. Life is nothing without a trace of obstacles, obstacles we can and cannot overcome or gone through." Tamao nodded with agreement while Anna is still silent, he felt guilty, like a stone has been over his heart, he hadn't got the chance to say to them what happened last night, but it was him who said it is not good to spoil the celebration and besides he got plenty of time to say it to them; he will soon shower darkness after a year. "Tough I still thank we had gone through it, our biggest obstacle in the shaman community."

She pauses again and breathe, "It was almost two months ago… a dark shaman had nearly conquered the world, with the help of his henchmen; he waited for five centuries to continue his unfulfilled dream, a new world just for shamans."

"Well then it would be our _own_ benefit, but we do not want to make a new shaman world by destructing or ruin also the ordinary people who were innocent. Still he continued his biggest madness, he soon reincarnate before the shaman fight had open. All of us had known him, all of us here, I am referring to… Asakura Hao." Yoh's heart beats faster again hearing his brother's name.

"Yes, he was powerful… very powerful indeed… no one ever thought that he could be defeated…"

"And no one could ever thought that his twin brother is destined to defeat him." All heads turn to Yoh; suddenly Yoh found his foot interesting.

"The tournament had opened, thousands of shamans compete; one was Hao and one was his twin brother. Before the tournament had proclaimed a victor the fight has been closed. But since the Great Spirits should hail a new king… they chose to relinquish the crown to the man who had defeated the dark shaman… it was him, the person before you all, and the person who was sitting infront of you… the new king…"

"Asakura Yoh!" she shouted with glee and points her palm to him. He can't say anything his tongue had been swallowed up. The crowd was outraged with cheers and cries of 'Hail the new king! Hail the new shaman king!' Goldova smiled widely she didn't expect that the crowd would behave like that, that happy, that victorious.

"The Great Spirits were very pleased as you lot in our new king… that's why they had been here in Japan!" she began again, the loud cheers died and murmurs filled instead.

"The Great Spirits were here too with us to witness the ceremony and celebration of the shaman community." The murmurs drew more loudly. An old smile appeared to Goldova's face.

"Asakura Yoh, I would like you to receive the crown." With the loud beats of drum the guardians again march in the aisle they were carrying a some kind of a box; a shiny box. As they drew nearer to the steps he had understood what that was. It was the crown; made of gold; a huge crown about two feet in width, half feet in height and another two feet in length. It has jewels in the top with colors red, blue, purple and pink.

"Before we would put this on your head I would like to explain your great responsibility being the new shaman king."

"Being a shaman king is great responsibility… yet the balance of the world will be his job…" she again spoke with her old voice while Yoh was standing infront of her.

"Meaning… the balance between shaman communities will be equal to the normal people's community. His responsibility is that make the shamans useful to those people who had not given the gift from the Great Spirits." There was a long silence. "But not making the shamans as just a tool for mere ordinary humans. She coughed. "to live peacefully in harmonious world is the biggest dream of the Great Spirits and all. This will come to reality when the shaman king will take his responsibility not as a duty but as a goal; as a dream." The crowd clapped their hands, "Still the fate of our world lies also in the people…"

The guardians draw nearer to Yoh. "You don't intent to put that on my head do you?" asked Yoh ridiculously. Chocolove laughed heartily in the crowd, Ren muttered to Faust that sounds like 'I think I don't want to be the shaman king.' "It looks like Manta can sleep there." Pirika said dreamily, manta glowered to her. "Sorry, just exaggerating the fact." Apologized Pirika who became red in shyness.

"Yes we intent to put this in your head." She answered his stupid question. Yoh gulped, how could he balance his body with that humongous crown, it was a suicide he thought. "Don't be afraid Yoh" Silva emerged in the guardians. "Your furyoku can withstand the weight of the crown." And he let out a wink.

He let our a deep breath, "Alright then." He agreed. The guardians put the crown to his head; Silva was right it was as if he was wearing an ordinary cap, it was not heavy at all, and he grinned.

"With the power of the Great Spirits…" a long silence again filled the place again, "We proclaim you the new shaman king who will justify the peace between the shamans and ordinary people." There was a roar of applause, cheers, yells and cries. 'I've done it!' he shouted mentally; he never felt like this before so happy so contended, he wishes he would felt this way forever.

"Congratulations Yoh." Anna said like her usual tone. He simply grinned at her but deep inside he wants to hug her with the happiness he felt.

After the ceremony the guest are invited to a little get- together meal inside the main temple. The temple was decorated with white and blue cloths with full moon decors. The buffet table was piled with food; sushi, rice balls, pies, roast beef, fried chicken, soup, stew, puddings and many more. The temple was full of laughter and chattering voices. Surely everyone inside wore happy faces.

Horo-Horo was eating ravenously in the corner alone. Ryu with Faust and Eliza was merrily chatting in their table. Silva encourage them all to buy some of his products and Chocolove pulled out some of his worst and boring jokes with the pesky animals, Konchi and Ponchi that despise Ren.

"You know, I haven't eaten those, but it taste great!" Manta said as he points his finger to the roasted turkey.

"Yeah, me too." Agreed Yoh who was busy munching his chicken.

"Don't you like their cooking?" Lyserg asked to them. "They were somewhat like the dishes back home."

"I love it!" Tamao who had got a plate of mash potatoes. "I think those were in my cookbook you gave me." She let out a giggle and ate the potato.

"Hey! You look good in your kimono, Lyserg." Yoh complimented him.

"You think so? Thank you." He said blushing. Yoh scanned the room, he cant find Anna around.

"Where is Anna?" He blurted to Tamao. Manta shrugged.

"She's with Kino-sensei, giving her a few words."

'A few words? What on earth would his obaasan will say to her; the ceremony was over, there were no other things to look forward to.'

"That's amazing! The Great Spirits in Yoh's backyard!" Manta interrupted his thoughts. "Yeah, cool! That's the one who woke me up this morning." Lyserg agreed to him.

"Have you talk or got nearer to the Great Spirits before the ritual, huh Yoh?" he asked again.

"Er… yes… I did before the ceremony…" he retorted. Tamao stared at him for a second.

"What did it told you then?" Manta asked.

"Nothing." He answered truthfully.

"Nothing! As in none!" Lyserg said with a great surprise in his face. "But you said…"

"I've just got nearer to them, the chieftainess talk to me."

"Hi Lyserg, Manta, Yoh and…"Jeanne the iron maiden approached their table with the other X-laws.

"Tamao." Tamao introduced herself to them. Jeanne let out a smile.

"Would you like some punch?" she asked as Marco, that tall guy with blonde hair and wearing square eyeglasses has glasses of punch in his hand.

"No. thanks we already have here." Yoh refused to them.

"It's been a while Lyserg…" she said to him, Lyserg bowed down his head gently. "Well done Yoh, I _never_ thought you would stop the evil shaman." Manta's eyebrow raise a bit.

"I never thought too!" Yoh laughed.

"May the spirits enlighten us by your help." She again said dreamily." Yoh, I think you should not reveal everything to your friends about the Great Spirits."

"Just a piece of advice." Marco muttered and they all left them.

"Insulting!" Manta cried a minute after they left. "I never thought you would defeat the evil shaman – Ack!" Mocking Manta gulp his remaining lemonade.

"What a lady!" Tamao blurted out too and got her self some pies in the buffet table.

"No sign of realization that _they_ were wrong before!" Again said by Manta. Lyserg just watched them.

Yoh pulled something in his pocket, it was the golden oracle bell, and Manta noticed it.

"What was that? You painted you bell?"

"Nah, I didn't, the Great Spirits gave me this."

"What's it do?"

"Many things… the chieftainess told me."

"Like what?"

"Sending message to them by this." He pointed the speaker to it.

"Wow! Then, what else?"

"I dunno…"

"Huh! You don't know?" Manta gapped at him, "But you said it do loads of things."

"Yes, sort of… it can do other things that even me and the guardians don't know."

"Ooh, I see."

Anna approached to them and sat to Tamao's vacant seat and got a plate of food.

"Er… Anna… what did obaasan told you?" Yoh asked her while watching her eating her food.

"Just complimented me in opening a portal the other day." She answered back. "What about that?"

"Nothing, just curious." He grinned, "Would you like a lemonade, I'll get you in the buffet." He offered to her. She nods in agreement. Yoh left them.

"Er… Anna… you look exhausted." Manta noticed her.

"It's nothing shorty, a bit tired." And she took another bite of chicken.

TBC…

A/N: Thank you for your reviews! Domo Arigato gazaimasu!

With your reviews it really gives me inspirations to continue…

Well, I had promised then that I will mention those who had reviewed to me when my fic is complete but then I will just answer a few of your questions… here goes…

PAIRINGS:

In the pairings, my mouth is tightly shut about this matter ('coz I really like the readers to keep on guessing.) but if you had hinted it, well… I dunno it has some twist in it so don't EVER discontinue to read (and of course review!)

And this is not shounen ai! Not just because I don't like that theme in the stories but bec. I don't know how to think of a plot related to that.

HAO:

So in the previous chapter Yoh had come face-to-face to his worst fear, his twin brother. He may not appear in the next few chapters for he is still busy to collect his former mates or recruit new ones! And his strength is not in 100 percent he still have to regain it.

YOH:

Well I don't want to spill the beans to this one; he had no other choice to marry Anna, wouldn't he? But do you think it is what Yoh thinks.

Yoh will encounter such heavy angst in the next chapter (if I say next it means next! After this chapter!)

TAMAO:

In the series I concluded that Tamao really fancies Yoh, notice that she keeps on blushing whenever Yoh was near her but she can't pull out the guts inside her and with Anna around can she?

She will be a great role in the future chapters (so hold on!)

ANNA:

Of course, Anna was cool! She was in the series, I don't intent to portray Anna being boring in my fic. Even though she was really hard-hearted but it was only her outside what we only see.

Anna is more powerful in my fic than you thought, first the portal what would be next!

ENDINGS:

I don't intent to have sad endings, I hate it! So basically it will be a happy ending, (but not 100 percent!)

TO MY READERS:

I'm sorry for my grammar, well I had received one review that my grammar really sucks but what could I do? I don't have time to edit this because if I had come up an idea I type it write away I forgot to edit it! I am really sorry. Gomen nasai!

And the characters, I am not the author of shaman king my goodness! Do I suppose to know every detail within it! Speaking of those, does everyone of you knew what their attacks called, I will be doing some action on the future chapters.

That's all and thank you for those who reviewed my fic! It really helps!

Next chapter is… secret!

Vienne louis jean spellman


	12. departyture

**Chapter 11: De-party-ture**

Two long weeks after the joyful celebration Yoh and Anna (together with Amidamaru) had waited in the Asakura Temple for the gang's victory party. Yoh was really excited and wondering what kind of party his friends was throwing for him. _What are they doing now? Had they choose the good food?_ He was like that for the whole two weeks (except for he was napping and eating) so Anna was really pissed off.

While Yoh was having the time of his life, Anna on the other hand was sort of doing something, something Yoh doesn't know, she always meditating in the shrine and most of all she was not making Yoh's life a hell; just like she promised in the eve of the coronation.

Still Yoh was curious why Anna was always inside the prayer room and meditating; he wants to believe that Anna was going to be that after the party because she doesn't promised him that she'll never give him chores to do.

"You don't need to know." That was always Anna's answer to him when he asked her what was she doing inside the prayer room. He does not know why he was so keen in knowing what Anna was up to. _ She might be planning a more dark strategy to make his life a hell for the rest of his life_, he thought in horror.

But aside from Anna being Anna, he appreciate the whole temple, the shrine, the blazing sun, the mild breeze in the afternoon that makes his napping time comfortable, his family out there supporting him with Anna and Amidamaru. Except for the food (Spirits are the ones who cook those times for Tamao was in Funbari with the gang)

"I am getting hungry." Amidamaru said dreamily. Yoh snort a laugh, spirits cannot be hungry; they're dead. They were walking to the street a few blocks to the inn. "If you are getting hungry, I _am_ starving to death!" Yoh exclaimed.

"That's because you didn't ate the food in the temple before we left." Anna snapped. "How could I eat those, it taste—" Yoh think for a better term to describe it, "Wicked… I mean they don't look edible to me." he finished. "If I just cook those, how could you stand the spirits cooking?" He said grinning.

"If you think its good; it would be." Anna retorted.

It was getting dark when they had arrived in the gates of the inn; it was disturbingly silent.

"Wow! It looks like it was _deserted_" he said looking at the inn.

"Or haunted." Amidamaru added.

"It _**was** _haunted Amidamaru; why is it silent, I can't wait to step inside." Anna said coldly as she open the gates that slightly cried.

They reached the wooden door, Yoh knocks gently. No one answers. He knocks again and no answer at all. He cast an anxious look to Anna. He grab for the door knob. A _clung_ noise was heard and echoed through their ears.

"It was open?" Amidamaru muttered quietly.

"Anna's forehead wrinkled a bit. With the look of her face Yoh knows that Anna had figured out what the gang was up to.

Yoh gently open the door, the living room was empty. "Where are those guys?" Yoh asked. In a split second rushing footsteps was heard banging in the stairs.

"We're here!" Yoh shouted. The noise became closer and closer and two pesky animals zoomed to them knocking them down. "What the—?"

"Konchi and Ponchi! Come back here!" Tamao shouted rushing after them not knowing that they had arrived.

"If I'll catch you two!" she shouted again, "Ahhhh—" she was tripped in Yoh's leg.

BANG! Crashing noises occurred. "Ma—Ma—Master Yoh!" she blurted in surprise. "How long—how long _had you been there?_!"

"Just a while ago." He got to his feet and offered a hand to her.

"So… Konchi and Ponchi were still pesting you for the past two weeks." Anna concluded.

"I—sort of, Miss Anna." She retorted blushing furiously.

"Where are the others?" Yoh search the room.

"Yoh!" a loud cry towards them rushing Horo-Horo, Manta, Lyserg, Chocolove, Faust (and Eliza), Pirika, Ryu and Ren tumbled them.

"We really missed you Yoh!" cried Chocolove and Ryu.

"How touching." Anna said with a disgusting tone. The two completely ignore Anna.

"Why was the inn so completely silent?" Yoh asked. Everybody grinned except for Yoh and Anna.

"We've been planning of surprising you, Master Yoh but—" Ryu explained

"But these pesky animals had ruined the surprise am I right?" Anna continued with a cold tone.

"Yes! Ma'am Anna, how did you—?"

"Basically it was obvious." She snapped at him. "So much for that, had all of you had prepared for the party?" Everyone nod their heads meaning 'yes'. "Very well then."

"YAHOO! LET THE FEAST BEGIN!" Chocolove roared with excitement. Ren sighed but did not argue with him.

Tamao led their way in the beautifully decorated room just like the ones in the coronation ceremony. Those blue full moon decors tumbled them and a long wooden table. Everyone sat in the tatami mat. He can see the big wide smile in everyone's face. "I haven't prepared the food, I'll just go down and check those." She said softly.

"Are you the one who cooked the food?" Yoh asked her with a look that Christmas had arrived early this year.

"Er… yes Master Yoh, but everyone helped." Tamao replied flushing a deep shade of crimson in her face.

"Including Ren Tao." Chocolove added dreamily. Yoh instantly spun his head to his Chinese friend and grinned at him. Ren suddenly found his fingernails very interesting, Horo-Horo scowled.

"Alright, I'll be going down now… do you want some tea Master Yoh, Ma'am Anna? The food is not yet cooked." She again asked the newly came _guest_. They both shook their heads that means no. "Pirika can I have a hand?" she turn to her blue-haired friend, "And you too Ma'am Ann—" Tamao cut off. Everyone fell silent, no one _ever_ thought Tamao, sweet, kind and silent girl asked Anna to help her.

It was as if Doom's day had arrived at the inn, an eerie, deafening silence filled the room and all heads turn to Tamao. "I mean, er—If it wouldn't hurt…" she blurted out with Yoh thinks full of nervousness with her voice wavering.

That is definitely the worst insult to Anna, everyone thought. He heard Horo-Horo murmuring something to Ryu. Ren was staring at Anna with a serious look. Chocolove, who was fallen silent, did not crack a joke. Manta on the other hand who was beside him exchange glances to him.

"Er—" Tamao again said with nervousness.

"Alright then, I'll help you both." Anna replied coldly to her. Everyone in the room blinked to what she had said.

"Ok. Let's go down." Tamao said slightly afraid and led the two girls to the paper door and heard them walking to the steps. Everyone's mouth fell open even to Yoh.

"Yoh-kun…" Manta said to him with a great disbelieve.

"Not now Manta…"

"Huh? Why?"

"I want to enjoy the moment… _Anna taking orders to other people…_" Yoh exclaimed.

"Yoh! You should not tell those things infront of Anna." Manta said still looking in the open paper door and expecting Anna emerging through there and lunging a powerful fist to punch him on his nose and cost it to fly out of the window.

"The first one?" Yoh said dreamily.

"No! The last one!"

"Hey Yoh!" Ren called back his attention; he caught his Chinese friends face in the other side of the long wooden table. "Is Anna doing alright, I think she was ill!"

"Nah, just being weird a lot lately." He answered grinning. "So, what are you doing the past two weeks?" He asked his small friend still grinning.

"Me? It was not kind of hell, I mean like Anna bossing around, it was fine." Manta instantly said. "We have difficulty in disinfecting this inn, we had just left this inn for just a couple of weeks and then it was gone dirty and filthy, like it was not cleaned ages ago."

"I suppose that had happen." Yoh said grinning again endlessly. "Spirits like to treat this inn into a party place…" he again said, "For themselves." They both laugh at Yoh had said.

"And come to think of it, someone's helping us to prepare and cook food." Manta shared to him.

"Who? Is that Ryu? He's excellent cook!"

"No. _Ren_." Manta leaned to him closely so that no one can hear him saying it. "Like Anna, he is behaving weird a lot lately; Horo-Horo thinks he's planning something. But I don't think so, He's just changing."

"Speaking of Horo-Horo, is he still digging those creamy boat tarts Tamao baking?" Yoh asked still remembered how his Ainu friend fancies those tarts, especially made by Tamao.

Manta snort a laugh but soft enough not to be heard by the people inside the room, "He's been sniffing those for the whole two weeks, and Tamao got really pissed of last week to him but in the end she was force to bake a tray for him everyday. No one knows why she done it. I suppose Horo-Horo had said something to her or even blackmailed her."

"I really don't think Horo-Horo could do such a bad thing." Yoh said.

"Do you think Horo-Horo is not a greedy git?" Manta said ridiculously, "He'll do everything to get hold of those boat tarts!"

"Hey Yoh, how was your stay at the temple, was it boring?" Lyserg joined them in a sudden.

"Er…not much, I was actually enjoying it." Yoh said truthfully. "Anna was not making my life a hell!" he exclaimed. Again, Manta search to the paper door to see Anna her hands in her electric blue beads.

"Good for you, we had the time of our lives here in your inn. We are disinfecting the whole inn, full of live insects. It was a shock to see those; they're big enough to suck all our blood from our body."

"The spirits love them here, when I had moved here it taken me some time to disinfect them too." Yoh retorted and picturing out how he had manage to be alive after entering the main door of the inn.

"Yoh, I have to tell something to you!" Ren called him in the end of the table, Horo-Horo beside him. Yoh gulped down his throat. _He_ means something.

Manta cast an odd look to him so is Lyserg. He just shrugged to them pretending he does not know anything about Ren was going to say to him. He walk straight to them and sat in the futon. Manta and Lyserg with Ryu got themselves into another conversation.

"Listen… We just wanted to know if _he_ had—you know…" Ren said very careful of saying it to loud.

"Oh! That!" He simply said with a fake surprise, at least he could notify them his comeback, but it was not the good timing to tell…

The paper door now clung open and the three girls entered the room. "So, is the food ready!" Chocolove yelled excitedly and sniggering after taking to Tamao's spirits.

"Just a moment." Tamao said.

"Why didn't you take the food here upstairs?" Horo-Horo said impatiently, to the look of his face he was madly hungry.

"They soon fly upstairs." Tamao said fanning herself and shot a odd look at Horo-Horo.

"Fly? As in literally fly?" Horo-Horo again asked her with a tone that's-impossible! Pirika giggled next to him, He shot a glare to his sister. Tamao held a foot-length wooden stick and tapped it in the table thrice.

_Tap! Tap! Tap!_

"What's with the stick?" Horo-Horo again commented with an impatient and grunting tone.

Next thing they knew, the door again swung open and flying dishes in a tray gently came to the table. Horo-Horo's mouth opened with disbelief, so with the others. They could see the victorious look at Tamao.

The plate of rice balls gently came down infront Faust. He looked amazed. A large mug full of something color orange with heavy white froth stand over the table.

"What are those?" Ren pointing the large mug of unidentified liquid. He examine it every bit of it as if it was a poison.

"No need to worry, that's only _candy beer_." Pirika responded with again suppressed giggles.

Faust raised an eyebrow, before he could say a word Tamao butt-in. "I think what's in your mind Mr. Faust. It is just a cola, I just invented the name. Because it looks like a beer, you know the froth." Tamao explained.

"Just a cola!" Chocolove said disgusted, he thought he can taste a true beer and pushed it away from him.

"It tastes like a beer. But not having alcohol content." Pirika added to the disappointed Chocolove.

"It is!" Ryu shrieked with joy. "Now I can drink with Master Yoh! I mean it is not making you fell sleepy!"

Tamao nodded. Yoh grinned to Ryu.

"Wait a second…" Horo-Horo interrupted them. Everyone spun their heads to the Ainu boy. "How long had you been _bewitching_ things?" He said with an accusing tone to Tamao nodding to her.

"Oh!" Tamao jumped, "I didn't bewitched them, Horo-Horo. That's ridiculous! I just ordered the spirits of the house to help me. With a split second several ghost materialized to the room. Horo-Horo shrieked with fright.

"Let's toast to Master Yoh! The new Shaman King!" Ryu lifted his mug of candy beer and offered a toast to everyone.

"To Yoh!" Everyone chorused. And lifted their mug as Ryu had done. They gulp down their candy beer. To Yoh's opinion it taste like something weird, he hadn't tasted a beer before, it just tasted something different, he thought.

Ryu slam his mug down and pulling his sleeve to wipe his lips. "Wow! I like it Tamao!" Ryu said with glee. Yoh put down his mug. It taste like sweet but a bitter taste lingers in his mouth. The froth covered his mouth.

"Yoh! The foam is in your mouth, it's like you had a beard." Manta noticed it and commented, everyone laugh.

"Did anyone says leprechaun!" Chocolove yelled at the top of his voice lifting his mug. Everyone fell silent.

"Faust, can you pass the rice balls?" Ren said to him urgently, "So I can stick those foods inside this fat-mouthed-comedian!" he said.

Yoh grinned, he was alarmed that Manta had said to him that Ren was a bit changing, he can see the first time he met Ren, very cold and snobbish. He thought it was Jun who was encouraging to be 'soft' sometimes. He reached for his bowl of eel with special sauce, looks inviting he thought.

"I had cooked that Master Yoh, especially for you." Ryu reminded him and was in crimson in face. He does not know if in shyness or with the candy beer. He grab those metal chopsticks and start eating, it was perfectly delicious!

"It was good we had organized this kind of party." Faust said putting down his chopsticks. "The party that the Great Spirits had thrown for you was not that good like this one, Master Yoh."

"Yes, I definitely agree on that." Manta instantly blurted, finishing his rice ball. "Those psychos are not suppose to be invited in the coronation." He said angrily.

"Who's psychos?" Pirika muttered innocently.

"X Laws." Lyserg responded.

"Oh, they're just horrible! They are murderers!" Pirika said angrily, Horo-Horo tug her in the rib. "Oh! I am sorry Lyserg! Gomen ne!"

"It's alright, that was true." Lyserg said guiltily.

"Let's not talk about those mad people…" Anna said irritably. To Yoh it seems Anna wants to let the conversation in a new direction so Lyserg won't be hurt.

Lyserg again drunk his candy beer down and slamming it to table empty. "Another mug?" Tamao offered the pitcher to him.

"Me too, Tamao-kun!" Ryu said to her.

And so the whole gang drank down those candy beers Tamao made and those delectable dishes they had prepared for Yoh.

Yoh felt his head going to explode any moment, and his vision became blurring. His head was gone into circles and he wants to throw up but only thing he had done was to lay in the table and easily drowse off…

Yoh cannot fell anymore his body and he can still see the room with his friends like circling madly.

Next thing he knows he woke up, felling dizzy. Still his head was making him mad. He search the room, everyone was sleeping. He guess that the candy beer that Tamao gave them made them sick. Manta was beside him, sleeping soundlessly. Horo-Horo was in the other end of the room sleeping with his mouth open wide as if hundreds of fly can have a ball. What makes him woke up is Ryu's loud snoring who was beside Ren. The two girls were also drowsing off—Tamao and Pirika.

He managed to stand and walk towards the paper sheet door to go to the bathroom to wash his face. There was a mistake in Tamao's candy beer, she might had forgot not to add alcohol on it. He walks into the dark hallways of the inn. It was dark, they haven't opened the lights before going to the dining room. It was midnight, he thought.

He dances all the way to the bathroom and stir the faucet and splashes of water came in. he washed his face. It was odd, he thought. Where is Amidamaru?

"Amidamaru?" he called his samurai warrior.

Nothing came. He called again, no one appeared. Why would Amidamaru be gone? Is he sleeping? But if he was he can see him sleeping, where is he? A mad idea came into his head, had Amidamaru drank the candy beer?

He rubbed his hair, that was mad! Really mad! He made again his way back to the room but something gave him interest to go down the landing and go to the main door of the inn. He stepped the steps of the stairs. It gently cried.

"Amidamaru?" he called again.

He heard someone move in landing but cannot see for it was dark. "Is that you Amidamaru?" he said innocently.

It didn't answer. He heard again, stomps of feet. 'Who was that?'

"Is there some one else here?" he asked stupidly. He did not got any answer.

He finally got down the flight of stairs. It was dark, and not to mention his head was making him dizzy.

The main door of the inn opened and light came in the shadows of the lit lamp outside. He saw the familiar shadow. Shadow of a girl—it was Anna.

"Anna?" he asked incredibly, "What are you doing there?"

Anna did not answer and drag something, something like a bag.

"Er… Anna, I don't think it is the best time for a walk, it was midnight…" he trailed off…

Anna stared at him for a moment and started to walk outside the door.

"Hey! Anna!" he called her and followed her quickly. Anna came into halt. Yoh froze. He saw Anna holding a small bag, the bag she got when she move in the inn. "What is that?" he asked now in a more serious tone.

"This is…" Anna said coldly to him and gestured at her red bag like her bandana. She wore her usual clothes, "a bag, Yoh."

"I know, I am not stupid."

"Good." She said coldly and faces him. "I can go now without further explanation."

"What do you mean, Anna-chan?" he asked. Is Anna going away or something?

"You said you were not an idiot."

"I did."

"Then, don't ask me stupid questions."

"Bu—t?"

Anna again started to walk again.

"Anna-chan!"

Anna faces him again and to the look on her face Yoh thinks is was extremely angry this time. "What?" she said angrily but not loudly.

"Why are you going away?" he asked.

It was a long time of silence in the place. Yoh was sweating now.

"Because I want to." Anna finally retorted after five minutes of silence.

Why does she want to leave the inn, she really like the hot spring and most of all she will be the wife of the shaman king that she can boss around?

"Because I want to. I repeat." She said noticing the look on Yoh's face.

He hesitated to reply but he said, "But why?" Anna gave him another of her death glares. Yoh just stared back at her. "Isn't this what you want? To be the shaman king's wife? To live in a better life… without worries?"

"I had told you that because I want you to be the shaman king."

"And now I am the shaman king, what is the purpose of leaving?"

"You know Yoh, isn't it obvious?"

"Obvious—What?"

"That I really despise you."

It touched a nerve, even though Yoh heard every insult from Anna he had not heard her saying those words to him. "But you really love bossing me around do you?"

"Yes I do."

"Then…"

Anna walk towards him slowly, Yoh stepped back he might get another slap form her. "Yoh…" she trailed off, still walking towards him. "You are the most idiot person I had misfortuned to know… is it that obvious that I had just been told to train you…"

Yoh still did not say anything. His mouth had gone dry.

"I was your trainer and that's all. Now that my work is finished I shall go on to my life."

"What life—?" he managed to ask her weakly.

"Never you mind." She retorted coldly. "Had you remember what I had told you the eve of your inauguration?"

Yoh nods in agreement.

"I will give you a gift." She said in a low tone and grab Yoh's necklace with some kind of a fanged pendant.

"Er—that is my necklace, Anna-chan." He informed her.

"Yes it is." She said and without warning, she pulled it tight, breaks the pendant into two, and threw in the porch.

"Ahh—my—necklace—!" Yoh screech and followed his eyes in the broken necklace. "Why did you do that?" he asked her with a hint of anger in his tone. He can't understand why Anna break his necklace, he turn his gaze to her, she was emotionless, really an itako.

Anna shot a dangerous look at him and said in a cold tone, "That necklace symbolizes our engagement." She said. His heart fell when he heard Anna said those. It was true; it was the sign that he and Anna are betrothed. Is that means…

"I gave you your freedom, Yoh." Anna said. "I am sorry for all the horrible life you had when I had made your life miserable, it was part of the Asakura family plan." She said and finally bowed at him with respect. "This is the last time I could call you on your first name, and maybe this is the last time I could talk to you." And she walked away, opening the gates that gently cried and trotted away, away from the inn. He now sees her red bandana for miles away.

He was still standing; alone, he doesn't know what to do. He was shaking; he doesn't know why he is shaking—with fear, with anger. His lips was gone drier, he could feel something in his insides. He wants to scream but he can't. Why would Anna want to break the engagement? Does he really such a bum that she doesn't like him? And what the hell his family plans for him? He was the world's stupidest person, he made a promise that he'll not refuse to her gift. How stupid he was, it was the only thing he regret of doing it.

The morning sun gently peeps out of the clouds. Another day has come.

"Yoh! Yoh!" Manta was tugging him hard. He opened his eyes slowly and rays of the sun tumbled to him and a worried Manta swim to his senses.

"Er… Manta… how are you? Good Morning!" he lazily greeted his small friend. He realized they were in the main door of the inn. He had slept there.

"Yoh-kun… why did you sleep over here?" He asked him curiously. "It was about ten in the afternoon. Tamao's candy beer backfired." Manta explained.

"The candy beer?" he retorted. He nearly forgot about the party.

"Hi Manta, Yoh, Good morning!" Horo-Horo greeted the two dreamily. To Yoh he was still sleepy. "Had you two made breakfast?" Horo-Horo asked and scratching his head. "I reckon this is called 'hangover,'" Horo-Horo added.

"I think, Tamao had made a mistake. She let us drank a real beer. That's why we all drowse off." Manta said to the Ainu boy.

"Er… Yeah…" Horo-Horo said still scratching his head. "What are you two doing there anyway?" and he search in the hallways. "I reckon we should make breakfast before Anna-chan gets berserk."

"Anna-chan?" Manta asked. "I haven't seen Anna in the dining room and anywhere in the inn."

"You sure?" Horo-Horo said with delight. Yoh got to his feet. His head is not moving into circles now. "I mean, she might got a walk or something." He added.

"Good. We should start to cook before she comes back." Manta said.

"Right." Horo-Horo agreed and went to the kitchen. Yoh tried to stop them.

"What Yoh?" Horo-Horo snapped at him angrily as if he had eaten his boat tarts without permission.

"Don't strain yourself making breakfast." Yoh said sadly.

"I get it; you want us to make lunch instead." Horo-Horo snapped. Manta exchange glances to Horo-Horo.

"No! I mean, don't strain yourselves making breakfast for Anna." He said. "She won't be coming back."

Manta and Horo-Horo's mouth fall; they can't believe what Yoh had said. They stared Yoh from head to foot.

"Can you repeat it again?" Manta asked five minutes after a long silence.

TBC.

A/N: Hi there readers, it was a long time. Sorry for the long updates, I was gone busy for school works and of course; I was busy also for my new fic. (Check it out!) I do hope you like this chappy for I had spend months to make this. I know this is another cliffhanger but the next chapter you'll soon find out how Yoh can cope with his new responsibilities without Anna around.

Poor Yoh! Will his friends help him to forget Anna or it is the other way around?

Please read and review. It means a lot to me.

Vienne louis jean Spellman…

Maraming Salamat! Thank you! Domo arigato gozaimasu! Merci! Grazie! Vielen Dank!


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